The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Where armed gangs rule the roost

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Saturday, Sep 25, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Where armed gangs rule the roost

Over the years, certain pockets in Aryanad have earned the dubious distinction of being the main centres of hooch distillation in the district, writes G. Anand.

A police crackdown is under way in Aryanad where a violent feud between two armed gangs involved in hooch distillation is threatening public peace. The Rural police are currently investigating as many as 21 cases, including attempt to murder and violation of the Arms Act, registered in connection with the nearly four-year-old "gang war".

Old rivalry

According to the police, the rivalry between "Raktha Pisachu" and "Ooma" groups in Aryanad has left several persons injured. In the past few decades, certain pockets in Aryanad have earned the dubious distinction of being the main centres of hooch distillation in the district.

Sources say the demand for the local brew referred, as "Aryanad Special" is high among consumers looking for a cheap high.

The hooch is sold widely in the district under the brand names of "Sada", "Kattan", "Angadi" and "Veenju". While "Sada" is priced at Rs. 80 for a 750-ml bottle, the premium brand "Veenju" is sold at Rs. 320.

Hooch business

Much of the hooch distillation is done on the sly in the semi-forested areas of Aryanad on the banks of River Karamana.

Repeated raids by the police and Excise official have failed to stamp out the illicit business, which is a major source of income for many families. Scores of unemployed youth are involved in the various stages of hooch production, including the retailing of the illicit product through well-established distribution networks.

The huge profits had triggered off a turf war between the two main gangs in the area with one of them "selectively leaking" information to the police about the operations of the other. Sources say a showdown between the groups is inevitable every time the police or Excise raids the hooch dens. The most recent fight was on August 27 when four persons of the "Raktha Pisachu" group were attacked by members of the ""Ooma" group. The attack came in the wake of a pre-Onam anti-hooch raid by the police.

To their surprise, the police found that one of the victims of the attack was actually a remand prisoner who should have been in the Sub-Jail on August 27. He had been arrested earlier in an attempt to murder case.

Inquiry

A separate police inquiry is on to find out how the "Raktha Pisachu" group member managed to get out of prison before he was granted bail by the court. The Rural police have reported the matter to the Nedumangad magistrate.

The police are taking a hard look at some "informants" having secret stakes in the hooch business.

They had gained legitimacy over the years posing as prohibition activists.

The police say the informants have been misusing their access to officials by selectively leaking information about their rivals while protecting their own trade interests and black mailing others in the trade.

A team headed by the DIG (Thiruvananthapuram Range), Arun Kumar Sinha, and consisting of the SP (Rural), P. Vijayan, and the Dy.SP (Nedumangadu), Somasekharan Nair, are reviewing the situation in Aryanad.

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