CHENNAI: A notorious rowdy, well-known in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi, and five of his associates were arrested here on Tuesday on the charge of robbing a diamond businessman at gun-point last month.
The history-sheeter, S Shyam Sundar Singh, popularly known as ‘SSS’ in the southern districts, is an accused in several cases of murder, murder attempts, abduction for ransom and extortion. Police claimed to have recovered from him a pistol with six rounds of ammunition.
According to police, P Sooraj (45), a Kerala-based diamond businessman had complained that Singh and his gang had robbed him of diamonds worth `7 lakh, a gold chain and mobile phone at gun point when he came to Chennai on business trip on May 5. He was staying at a hotel in Periamet when two men, Dilli alias Michael and Amudhavanan, met him.
Three days later, they took him to a private place in Vadapalani. There, a gang of six threatened him at gun-point to part with the valuables before dropping him off at Porur.
Based on Sooraj’s complaint, Virugambakkam police registered a case and began investigation. Based on mobile tower location, police traced Singh and his accomplices S Dilli alias Michel (29), S Syed Mohammed Hussain (30) and V Vijayakumar (30) from Sriperumbudur, D Amudhavanan (30) from Polichalur, and K Singh (38) from Chennai.
The 44-year-old from Idayankulam village in Kalakadu, Tirunelveli, dropped out after Class 10. Though his father, Samuvel Durai Pandi, was a farmer, Singh joined a notorious gang there, said an inspector tracking gangsters.
“He joined the ‘Karate’ Selvin gang that enjoyed support from his community for standing up for them. Singh was one of the lieutenants like ‘Kozhi’ Arul, ‘Rocket’ Raja and ‘Tatha’ Senthil who were part of Selvin’s gang till the latter’s murder by rivals in Palayamkottai in 1997,” said the official.
For a while, Singh was with Venkatesa Pannaiyar’s gang before being expelled.
The first of the four murders he is accused of was reported in 1996. There is an abduction and murder case pending in Chennai from 2010. “There are several kidnap cases and illegal arms cases pending against him, besides the cases that Chennai CCB are handling,” said an official.
He is said to sport a gun always. Four years ago, a house owner in Valsaravakkam complained about the loud noise from next door, which turned out to be Singh’s shooting practice. Local police had filed a case and arrested him then.