CHENNAI:This is the story of a low key gangster, who keeps his fear alive in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu through absence. “Don’t ask anyone else the way you asked me,” said a shocked Velumani, a drive when asked about where ‘don’ Sridhar lived. Though it’s been three years since the don left the place, locals are afraid to say his name.
About Sridhar, Velumani said “Though not in town, he keeps track of everything in Kancheepuram.”
With dozens of criminal cases against him and acres of land he allegedly acquired by illegal means, Sridhar Dhanapalan, who is underground since 2013, is believed to be in Dubai with his wife and son. Despite various attempts to trace him, the police have been unsuccessful. Cops refer to him as another ‘Dawood Ibrahim’.
Velumani drove up to the borders of Ellappan Nagar, where Sridhar’s house is. A short walk leads to a lawn, and a few steps down are two large black gates. One has four CCTV cameras, and the other has two. The gates guard a two-storey building, where the don’s second daughter lives with caretakers. They have two dogs, besides a watchman.
Sources said the don regularly scans CCTV footage for anything suspicious For neighbours, the building is mysterious and inaccessible.