Though the encounter deaths of the two accused in the murder of SI Alwin Sudhan on Friday night drew flak from rights bodies, policemen in the state showered bouquets on their quintessential ‘encounter specialist’, Velladurai.
He was, as in the past, instrumental in gunning down the two prime accused, Prabhu and Bharathi.
“We thank Velladurai-sir for eliminating the two criminals, which not only brought respect to the police force but also sent a message to the anti-social elements,” said a group of police personnel.
Velladurai, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Anna Nagar, Madurai, was made the DSP, Manamadurai in Sivagangai, soon after the murder of Sub-Inspector Alwin Sudhan. Understandably so.
On Friday night, Velladurai was part of a special team formed by Ramanathapuram DIG M Ramasubramani to hunt down Prabhu and Bharathi who, the police claimed, escaped from the the police while they were being escorted to a Sessions Court from the prison.
At Melamelkudi village, the special team led by Velladurai spotted two suspicious persons on a motor bike, who SI Boominathan identified as Prabhu and Bharathi. But the duo attacked him with sickle and hurled petrol bombs at the police van injuring to constables Marimuthu and Dineshkumar. On self-defence, Velladurai shot them dead. “The three policemen, including Boominathan, are undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital in Madurai,” said Ramasubramani.
The encounter killings, however controversial, came as a relief to the men in khaki who were disturbed at the murder of Alwin Sudhan during the Marudhupandiyar Guru Puja.
“Indru Naan…Naalai Nee”, meaning “It’s me today…It may be you tomorrow”, read an SMS that did the rounds. The climax was a story that resembled many past incidents, including the gunning down of Chennai-based gangster Ayodhyakuppam Veeramani on July 27, 2003, also by the same man, hailed as Tamil Nadu’s Daya Nayak.
Daya Nayak, a Sub-Inspector of Mumbai police, is said to have killed 83 criminals in encounters in four years.