CHENNAI: A 36-year-old man, who had tipped police about gutka sale in Kancheepuram was assaulted by a gang of sellers on Sunday night after the police allegedly revealed his identity to the gang. Since police had not acted on his tip-off, the man alerted food safety officials who in turn raided shops in the locality and seized 100 kg of the banned products last week. Subsequently, on Sunday midnight a four-member gang stormed into the house of the informer and thrashed him. While Kadhar Ali suffered major injuries, his younger brother Mubarak Ali (29) escaped with scratches. Kadhar Ali who sells phenyl bottles residing in Abdul Kalam Street at Sunguvarchatram along with his mother, wife and children.
“Around 11.45 pm on Sunday, Mansoor Ali, Bilal, Ismail and Buhari barged into my house and started attacking me. My brother’s family also lives in the same house. The panicked family members cried for help as Mubarak tried to save me. I pushed everyone into one room as I did not want them to get hurt,” said Kadhar Ali who was admitted to the Kancheepuram GH. Mansoor Ali, who allegedly runs a gutka nexus was the one against whom Kadhar lodged a complaint with the Chief Minister’s complaint cell on May 8. Sunguvarchatram police fined Mansoor `200 and let him off.
“Since no proper action was taken, I sent a mail to the directors of the health department and food safety department on May 12. The food safety department officials raided the places which I had mentioned and seized over `4-lakh worth gutka products from the godown of Mansoor Ali. He was fined and a case was registered by Sunguvarchatram police,” said Kadhar.
Soon after the incident, Mansoor called Akbar, a cousin of Kadhar, and warned him. “He told me that Kadhar would pay for his losses,” said Akbar. Kadhar said the police were reluctant to take action against Mansoor even after they attacked him. Mansoor had lodged a counter-complaint that Kadhar had misbehaved with the former’s wife. The police have registered a case against Mansoor and his gang.
When contacted, inspector P Rajendran of Sunguvarchatram station told Express that Kadhar had some business enmity with Mansoor. Kancheepuram SP Santosh Haidemi said investigations were on and inquiries were being conducted with Sunguvarchatram police to find out whether they had revealed details about the informant.
Cops book five, including victim
Five persons including Kadhar have been booked for attacking Mansoor Ali. “Now the inspector is threatening that I should compromise with Mansoor or else I will be arrested for molesting his wife,” said Kadhar.