Cops go after scrap mafia, book FIR against big sharks

Finally cracking down on the notorious mafia that was controlling the Rs 250 crore steel and other scrap business in the industrial belt around Chennai like Sriperumbudur, Maraimalai Nagar and Oragadam, the police in Kancheepuram have registered an FIR against a group, including two key figures, following complaint from a scrap transporter.

While police claim that they were hunting for members of the mafia, the traders say these men are allegedly roaming around the area, unperturbed by the case against them.

Earlier this week, after a scrap transporter finally gathered the courage to file a complaint, Kancheepuram police registered the case against the dreaded duo of scrap mafia, ‘Maraimalai Nagar’ Sathya and ‘Padappai’ Guna – the latter has at least six murder cases and about 20 other cases pending. The FIR also named Dilip, Sukumar, Vicky, Sridhar, Murugan, Rajee and Suresh.

“I fear for my life. I cannot use my car anymore, and change taxis daily. To avoid being followed, I travel in EMU and Metro,” said a trader who said he lost his livelihood because of the mafia.

There are more than 600 big and small companies that are functioning in the industrial belt. The officials of these companies, scrap dealers and transporters are threatened by the mafia, which has allegedly taken over the business over the years, an affected businessman said.

This involves big money as one tonne of iron scrap is currently priced at Rs 25,000 in the market.

“After a long time, only now we have received a written complaint. We will soon apprehend them,” assured Santhosh Hadimani, Superintendent of police,Kancheepuram.

According to the complaint, the gang allegedly abused and attacked the employees of Shree Shine Enterprises, a transporting firm, when they went to transport scrap from the premise of SGI Automotive India Private Ltd, on behalf Metal & Scrap Traders Pvt Ltd. They threatened to burn them alive if the staff refused to leave, the FIR said.

However, though the Maraimalai Nagar police have registered a case, inspector Selvam failed to include two important sections of the Indian Penal Code – section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) and 341 (wrongful restrain). When the complainant asked about this, the official reportedly said he ‘forgot’ to include these sections, but promised the representative of the company that those sections can be added while filingcharge sheet.

As of now, the police have registered the case under IPC sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 448 (trespassing) 294b (use of obscene language) and 506 (2) (criminal intimidation).

“Except the SP and IG, police officers at the station level seems to be interested in questioning us instead of tracing the accused. The gang members, including Guna and Sathya, are roaming in the locality in their SUVs but local police personnel say they can’t be located,” charged a businessman.

Sources said the gang also take its share in supplying water to the companies in the industrial hubs.