CHENNAI: “He wanted to start a travel agency after his release and lead a reformed life, but he was finished off before that,” the family of ‘welding’ Kumar said on Wednesday.
At the Government General Hospital where his body was brought for post-mortem, the notorious rowdy’s family comprising his mother, two wives, four children, three sisters and numerous relatives raved and ranted and threw accusations against the police under the full glare of the media.
“He spent 14 years in prison. They did not even allow him to come out on parole,” his sisters said. No wonder, the family, particularly his children, was eagerly awaiting his release in about a month’s time. And his violent death has come as a rude shock to them.
“Only last week, we met him in prison,” a close relative said. “He told us that everything was alright. He also spoke about his plans to start a travel agency after his release.”
Kumar’s wife Shantha blamed the authorities for his death. “They failed to protect him. If such as incident can happen in a high-security prison, then what is the guarantee for an ordinary man’s life?” she asked. “Our whole future has now become a question mark,” she said. But the 47-year-old ‘welding’ Kumar had led a crime-soaked life. He had enemies, political and otherwise, all around him. Sooner or later nemesis was bound to catch up with him.
Identified with a particular political party, Kumar made two murder attempts against rivals, an advocate and a former minister. He was charged with the murder of a wine shop owner. His ‘katta panchayats’ inspired fear and he was also available for a price to commit murder.
But in the bylanes of Korukuppetai, where he lived, like other dons he has a Robin Hood image. “He was good to some, bad to others,” his neighbours said.