The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Gang leader’s arrest helps crack burglary cases

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Sunday, Jul 13, 2008
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Gang leader’s arrest helps crack burglary cases

G. Anand

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city police on Saturday claimed to have solved 10 major burglaries reported from the district during the past one week with the arrest of an Attingal-based “gang leader” Sunil Kumar alias “Beedi” Sunil.

Commissioner of Police Ravada Azad Chandrasekhar said Sunil’s arrest had also helped prevent a gangland killing in Attingal and a murder-for-gain in Kozhikode.

Sunil who was released from prison recently where he was detained under the provisions of the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act came to the notice of the police again last week when he failed to return a black Maruti Alto car that he had hired from a rent-a-car agency in the city. The police said Sunil had threatened the agency owner and demanded a Mahindra Scorpio van for a few days in return for the Alto car.

Officials said the suspect, along with his accomplices ‘Copra’ Biju and ‘Attingal’ Ratheesh, was planning to raid the house of a hawala (an illegal, widespread and largely anonymous money transfer practice) agent in Kozhikode at night and kill him for his money. They said the suspects had attempted to procure the Scorpio van with this purpose in mind.

The police said Sunil had also received money from the family of one Sumith for killing Attingal Manish, an accomplice of absconding “gang leader” Attingal Ayyappan.

The police said Manish had injured Sumith days before he was to attend an Army recruitment interview, at the behest of some of his neighbours who had allegedly paid money to Ayyappan. Officials said Sumith’s father had given money to Sunil for avenging the attack on his son.

The rent-a-car agency owner contacted Sunil at the behest of the police and agreed to deliver the van. Circle Inspector, Fort, B. Harikumar, Sub-Inspectors Suresh. V. Nair and Aji Chandran and Crime Squad members A. R. Ajith and N. Rajan tailed the agency owner in another car. They arrested Sunil from the house of a plantation worker at Thenmala.

The police said they recovered a suitcase which contained a set of tools for breaking into houses, from Sunil. They said the suspect had used the Alto car for burgling unoccupied houses at night. The police are in the process of recovering the loot, mostly cash and gold ornaments, from the suspects. Assistant Commissioner K. C. Sasikumar coordinated the operation.

Sunil is also accused in two murder cases. He is also accused in several attempt-to-murder and kidnapping for ransom cases.

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