Criminals and convicts getting hold of guns can become dangerous to any society. Though Kochi has a long-standing history of gang war and violence, use of firearms has been rare, until the incident in Perumbavoor. Police claim that the trend, if left unchecked, may have huge repercussions.
“Use of guns is the beginning of a new culture on the streets. We suspect the involvement of an organised interstate racket operating in Kerala, supplying firearms to those engaged in illegal activities and crimes,” said a senior police official.
Police recovered the pistol which was used by the gang. Preliminary analysis reveals that it could be factory made. “Pistols are not easy to make like country-made guns. We have submitted the weapon for a forensic examination,” said an officer.
Ernakulam Rural Police chief K Karthick said the police have started a comprehensive probe to identify the weapon’s source. Once the forensic examination finds the serial number and model number, further search will be conducted.
According to the data from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), between January 1, 2018 and September 15, 2020, 33 firearm licences were issued in Kerala with an all-India permit. As many as 291 arm licenses were renewed during the period. Three were cancelled.
The intelligence wing’s parallel probe is also trying to understand more about the gang members’ whereabouts, as many of them don’t have any previous crime records. According to an officer, the use of a pistol points to the possible involvement the gang may have in the incident in which a Special Sub Inspector of Tamil Nadu police was gunned down at Kaliyakkavila check post on January 8 by Y Thoufeeq, 27, of Kottar, Nagercoil and A Abdul Shameem, 29, of Thiruvithancode, Kanyakumari.
The suspected murder weapon, a 7.65mm Italian pistol, was found from a drain near the KSRTC bus stand in Kochi earlier this year. “The probe will be widened after the forensic report comes in. We suspect that the source of firearms used in both the incidents was the same,” the officials added.
Mithila Mohan murder
V M Mohanan aka Mithila Mohan, owner of Mithila bar, was shot dead at his doorstep at point-blank range by two persons on April 5, 2006. The men knocked on the door of his residence at Vennala. When a relative opened the door, they asked for Mohanan. As the businessman approached the door, one of the assailants fired a bullet into his chest. In April 2013, the Crime Branch arrested Santhosh Kumar alias Kanan, 51, of Pottekkattil House in Poonkunam, Thrissur, after it was found out that he had hired the shooters to kill Mohanan, owing to a business rivalry. The whereabouts of the shooters are still unknown.
Beauty parlour firing
Two bike-borne miscreants opened fire in broad daylight at a beauty parlour in Panampilly Nagar owned by actor Leena Maria Paul on December 15, 2018. According to police, the gang used an air pistol and they left a paper with Mumbai-based criminal gang leader Ravi Pujari’s name written on it. His involvement in the incident surfaced later. The Crime Branch, after taking over the probe, identified and arrested Bilal of Aluva and Vipin of Kochu Kadavanthra. Ravi, who is now in Karnataka police custody, had admitted that he had conspired to extort money from the actor, who had allegedly amassed a big sum of money from hawala deals in Kochi. His gang opened fire after she ignored his earlier warnings.
Swami shootout in Aluva
Controversial spiritual guru Swami Himaval Bhadrananda fired two shots from his pistol at the Circle Inspector’s Office room in Aluva police station on May 17, 2008. He was taken to the police station after he threatened to shoot himself at his house near Manackappady. K G Babu Kumar, the then circle inspector, grabbed the pistol from Bhadrananda.
Gun used on TN cop recovered in Kochi
The gun used to murder Kaliyikkavila Special Assistant Sub-Inspector (SSI) of Tamil Nadu police was recovered from a drain near Ernakulam KSRTC bus stand on January 23.
With contributions from Arun M