Sunday, December 29, 2019

Temple town of Kanchi in throes of gang war

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:29.12.2019


Following frequent stand-offs between two rowdy groups trying to establish supremacy in Kancheepuram, police teams working to curb the ‘war’ found many college students involved with the gangs. On Saturday, the town police called in parents of the students involved and took an undertaking from them.

The groups, led by Thanika and Dinesh, have been ‘in battle’ ever since Kanchi don Sridhar Dhanapal’s suicide in Cambodia in 2017. Dinesh worked as Sridhar’s driver, while Thanika was a close aide of Sridhar’s. “The two gangs have been fighting to grab the hot-seat held by Sridhar for about two decades,” said a police officer. At least 20 people have been killed in the fights since 2017.

After the fighting resulted in a double murder on December 21, B Jeeva, 28, and R Gopi, 26, of Periya Kancheepuram being the victims, Kancheepuram district superintendent of police B Shamoondeswari ordered a crackdown on the gangsters.

Under her supervision, six teams formed under the guidance of ADSP Balachandar and DSP Kalaichelvan managed to round up 38 rowdies linked to gangs in the past three days. All of them have pending cases against them and were remanded in judicial custody.

Further inquiries revealed that at least five dozen more youngsters, all aged between 18 and 23 years, were part of the gangs. Around 50 school, college students and dropouts were detained and brought to the Kancheepuram SP’s office on Saturday and their parents were told to assemble as well.

“They were involved in passing on messages, buying food and drinks for the gangsters, guarding the area when attack plans were made... We called them and their parents in and have warned them,” said Shamoondeswari. The youngsters were warned and let off after their parents gave it in writing that their kids would stay out of trouble.

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