MADURAI: Madurai, infamous for gang rivalries and revenge killings, witnessed a sudden spurt in violent crimes, with eight murders reported in 11 days between July 30 and August 9. The murders, some of which were linked to previous enmity, have raised concerns among public over the need for stronger policing.
According to police, among the eight victims, five are history sheeters and one was a drug peddler. Of this, two were murdered by rival gangs. Sanjaykumar (23) was murdered by a gang at his workplace, falling under Sholavandan police station limits, in broad daylight on July 30. The following week, Murugan, a 42-year-old history sheeter, was chased and murdered by a gang in full public view in the Chinthamani police station limits.
VP Manikandan, a resident, said the spurt in murders created panic among people. So many murders in a short span indicated lack of police patrolling, he said. In the past, police opened outposts in every crime-prone area but the practice has gradually been abandoned, Manikandan said, adding that police should hold interactive sessions with residents and trade bodies at least once every two months.
Marees Kumar, an advocate, said the murders were a serious warning sign. “Some of the victims reportedly had previous criminal cases. Police must identify threats and take preventive steps,” he said, adding that while some of the killings may have been spontaneous, the government should not treat them as isolated incidents.
Retaliation murders raise serious questions about the functioning of the intelligence wing. If retaliation murders still occur, the intelligence and preventive-policing mechanisms must be reviewed, he said, and called upon the state government to examine these cases and take steps to prevent revenge killings and gang violence.
Police officers in city and rural areas said people need not panic as most murders were spontaneous. They pointed out that the accused in the cases had been arrested without delay.
A city police officer admitted intelligence failure in the case of Murugan’s murder. “As Murugan was a history sheeter, officers were tracking his movements. The gang that killed him followed him several times without attempting an attack. At one point, Murugan stopped treating them as a serious threat. The suspects seized the opportunity and murdered him,” he said. “After Murugan’s murder, we once again strengthened tracking and issued guidelines for closer monitoring,” the officer said.
Regarding Sanjaykumar’s murder, the officer added that it was a revenge killing that followed the death of Chellathurai. Although Sanjaykumar was not accused in any case, he had projected himself as a member of Chellathurai’s group and claimed he would eliminate Chellathurai’s rival Chittu’s gang. Fearing an attack, members of the Chittu group murdered him.
