VELLORE: The brazen murder of financier-turned-politician GG Ravi on Sunday sent shockwaves across the district with fears of a revival of gang war and escalation of violence spreading among the public.
G G Ravi (52) was chairman of GGR College of Engineering in Vellore. He was murdered on Sunday around 8.30 pm, while returning from a marriage function at Rangalaya Kalyana Mandapam in Gandhi Nagar, Katpadi.
A former councillor of Vellore corporation, he was attacked by a gang with sickles and preliminary investigation revealed that the murder was a fallout of rivalry between Ravi’s family and the gang of notorious rowdy Maha alias ‘Athiradi’ Mahalingam.
The feud between two gangs began in 2012 when Kuppan, one of the close associates of Mahalingam, tried to run his autorickshaw from Thottapalayam auto stand. Allegedly, he did not have the blessings of G G Ramesh, brother of G G Ravi, who was controlling auto stands in parts of Vellore.
Mahalingam came out in support of Kuppan after being threatened by Ramesh and Kuppan escaped a murder attempt in the next few days.
In retaliation, Mahalingam’s gang murdered Ramesh on April 20, 2013. The killing happened in front of a finance company on Arcot Road.
Both Kuppan and Mahalingam were arrested in connection with the murder, however, they were later released on bail. In the coming days, there were attempts on the part of G G Ravi’s family to kill Mahalingam, the sources added.
Though he survived, Mahalingam’s days were numbered. In September 2015, he made an attempt to kill Ravi following which Mahalingam was chased by Ravi’s sons R Gokul and R Tamil Mani along with their gang members before stoning him to death in full public view near Thottapalayam.
“To avenge the murder of Mahalingam, Kuppan, for whom Maha entered into the gang war with GGR family, is suspected to have murdered GG Ravi,” said a police officer.
All shops in Gandhi Nagar in Katpadi, Thottapalayam and Kakithapattarai remained closed. Supporters of G G Ravi pelted stones at a government bus bound to Amirthi at Vellore new bus stand. Though the front mirror of the bus got damaged, no-one was injured.
In the evening, at 6.30 pm, the funeral procession of GG Ravi passed off peacefully amid tight police security.