The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Gangs still continue to have their day?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Gangs still continue to have their day?

L. Srikrishna

``Affected people can contact higher-ups if officers in police stations do not take action''

CHENNAI : Want to vacate a tenant? Hire a group and the job is accomplished.

Want to recover any loan arrears? Approach an "agency" which works on a commission or `cut', and the balance is recovered by force.

Many roadside vendors, small and tiny businessman in the unorganised sector live at the mercy of self-styled gangs.

The list of such acts performed by using force and using extra-legal methods is long in the city.

And going by experience, the victims of such acts, particularly women, prefer not to go to the police fearing further trouble. However, some victims say if one approaches the police, little action is initiated.

Listen to the harrowing tales of mental agony undergone by victims, who only say that the police seem to clearly hesitate to take action.

During the last quarter of 2006, there were complaints of threats followed by eviction by gangs from many parts of the city, but even after 100 days, the police had not taken any concrete action, according to the victims.

After "Punk" Kumar was killed in an encounter last month on the outskirts of the city, the police claimed that they would tighten screws against anti-socials. There were even reports that anti-social gangs have shifted their base to neighbouring districts apprehending trouble.

But if one looks at the pattern of complaints pouring in, it gives an impression that the gangs continued to show their presence in the city.

Sample this:

A tenant, who has been living in a posh flat in Santhome on a monthly rental of Rs.25,000, was in for a shock last Saturday. About 10 persons (all in the age group of 20 years) barged into his house and terrorised the inmates. For a full 30 minutes, many neighbours were unaware of what was happening inside. Later, they realised that the landlord of the flat had taken a Rs. five-lakh loan from his tenant and failed to repay. The two parties had decided to adjust the loan by deducting from the monthly rent. Under such circumstances, the tenant was at a loss to know why he and his family members were terrorised. When he reported to the nearest police station, the police assured action, but till date nothing concrete has taken place .

A fortnight ago, 50 small traders and vendors from the Purasawalkam area approached the police, seeking protection from the gangs, which demanded Rs. 25 per shop on a daily basis. There are roughly 200 shops. According to the petitioners, they had formed a welfare association and planned to collect a fee from each member on a weekly basis, but they were shocked following the threat from the gangs. Despite complaints lodged with the police, no action has been taken, alleged the traders.

Even in cases where complaints have been registered, concrete action in the form of arrests is yet to take place. A woman entrepreneur's factory was razed down by a gang in Perungudi last month.

Although an FIR was filed, no arrest has been made till date.

When contacted, Additional Commissioner of Police S. R. Jangid said that the public could contact senior officers or higher-ups, whenever they felt that the officers in police stations concerned had not taken action immediately.

He warned that firm action would be taken against persons who tried to take law into their hands.

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