Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Gang leader held

Staff Reporter

Om Prakash is an accused in two murder cases

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city police on Thursday arrested a 28-year-old youth who was wanted in several cases, including two murders and six attempts to murder, in the district. The accused was identified as Om Prakash, a resident of Malayankeezh.

A police press release described Om Prakash as a "notorious gang leader" with more than 100 henchmen in the city. The police said he benefited from extortion, settling of money disputes, money lending and supplying musclemen. The cases against him include taking Rs.50,000 from a businessman for assaulting CITU workers in Balaramapuram and Rs.30,000 from another person for terrorising residents of a hutment colony in Kottarakkara.

Om Prakash allegedly had close links with certain student leaders in University College and M.G. College. He is accused in several cases relating to the setting on fire of Government vehicles during Left student agitations this year.

Om Prakash, who featured as a model in a television advertisement for a shopping mall in the city, was planning to join a fashion-designing institute in Bangalore when he was arrested. He had come under police scrutiny in 1999 in connection with the murder of one Asokan in Malayinkeezhu. In June, he became accused in the murder of his one time associate, Aji, at Anthiyoorkonam.

Despite figuring as accused in several cases, including the daring attack on two remand prisoners outside Poojappura Jail this year, Om Prakash could not be arrested for a long time because of his alleged police and political connections.

Circle Inspector, Medical College, K. E. Baiju, said Om Prakash frequented a posh club in the city, socialised with rich businessmen and used four mobile telephones at a time.

His close friends included a film star, a television serial actor and a former Kerala University Union chairman.

City Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham said the police have specific information about Om Prakash's friends and they would face prosecution for abetting goonda activities and harbouring offenders.

Among those who called the police for securing Om Prakash's release on Wednesday included the head of a religious madhom, an official said. The arrest of Om Prakash was the result of the anti-goonda drive launched by the IG, South Zone, T. P. Senkumar and Mr. Abraham.

The police investigators have now found that Om Prakash had close links with at least two Deputy Superintendents of Police several members of the disbanded police crime squad.

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