CHENNAI:The Anti-Gangster squad of the city police nabbed ‘Thatha’ Senthil (52), a notorious history-sheeter and close aide of slain extortionist Venkatesa Pannaiyar, at Ambattur on Friday.
Police said Senthil is an accused in the murder of forest guard Arumugam and his wife Yogeshwari in Suseendram police limits in 2011.
Absconding since then, he resurfaced in Kallikuppam near Ambattur as a realtor and was drivigg a car bearing an advocate symbol.
City Police Commissioner S George received a tip-off and activated the Anti-Gangster squad which caught Senthil while he was fleeing in the Maruti Swift bearing the registration number TN 07 AJ 9700.
Senthil earned the moniker ‘Thatha’ due to his aged appearance. He was the most trusted aide of slain Thoothukudi-based gangster Venkatesa Pannaiyar and was an expert in carrying out physical torture. He was also adept at planning and executing the orders handed out to him. Accused in as many as 9 murder cases, Senthil was acquitted in most of them while two are pending trial.
Prime accused in the murders of Baheeradhan, who killed Venkatesa Pannaiyar’s father and grandfather, and one Samuel in 1994, he was also arraigned in the killings of Pasupathipandian’s relative Rajagopal in 1995 and Jesintha Pandian in 2006. Booked in the murder of rowdy Lingam, lodged in the sub-jail in Nesamoney Nagar in Nagercoil in 1996, he was later acquitted.