The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Madurai explosives seizure case unravelled

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Tamil Nadu

Madurai explosives seizure case unravelled

P. Sudhakar and S. Vijay Kumar

Timely police intervention foiled retaliation plan of Tirunelveli gang

— Photo: A. Shaikmohideen

PREVENTIVE ACTION: DIG of police P. Kannappan(left), showing the seized arms to Inspector-General Sanjeev Kumar (South zone), in Tirunelveli on Thursday.

TIRUNELVELI/CHENNAI: The improvised country-made explosives that were seized along Ring Road in Madurai on June 15 were meant to attack a group of persons accused in a triple murder case, Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) K. Radhakrishnan said on Thursday.

A gang of 13 persons brought the explosives to Madurai along with some deadly weapons to murder the accused in the murder of history-sheeter Madhan and two of his associates at Suththamalli in Tirunelveli district. Since some of the accused were staying in Madurai and signing at the Tallakulam police station everyday as part of the bail conditions, it was planned to eliminate them.

Advance intelligence

“We had advance intelligence on the retaliation plan and alerted the local police to enhance vigil and prevent any attack on the accused. Bandobust at the Tallakulam police station was also strengthened. On seeing the tight security arrangements, the gang concealed the explosives behind shrubs near Ring Road,” Mr. Radhakrishnan said.

Since the attack planned in Madurai was foiled by the police, they murdered P. Kasamaadan at Suththamalli on June 28, suspecting his involvement in the triple murder case.

“They concealed the explosives behind shrubs along Ring Road and were, perhaps, waiting for an opportune time to strike. We have arrested five persons who were part of the gang that plotted the revenge killings. Ammunition, lethal weapons and some explosives have been seized from them. They have confessed to murdering Kasamaadan,” he said.

Inspector-General of Police (South Zone) Sanjeev Kumar told reporters in Tirunelveli that the associates of Madhan, who wanted to avenge his murder, coordinated with P. Petchimuthu (26), son of a police head constable, of Tirunelveli, and S. Harihara Ramasubramanian (25) of Palayamkottai.

The duo, through a dismissed policeman, contacted a Madurai-based advocate, who suggested that they attack the accused when they come out of the Tallakulam police station.

With the help of C. Kutti alias Shanmugasundaram (26) of Kulavanigarpuram, they made the explosives and tested one at a secluded place on the Tirunelveli-Nagercoil National Highway.

The gang hired a house in Madurai where Kutti made the explosives.

Five held

A special team formed by Tirunelveli DIG P. Kannappan arrested Harihara Ramasubramanian, K. Kannan alias Muthukrishnan (22) of Palayamkottai, C. Venkatesh (36) of Mela Seval, D. Jacob Jayaseelan (28) of Kulavanigarpuram and Armed Reserve police constable S. Venkatesh (35) of Suththmalli.

Custodial interrogation of Petchimuthu, who surrendered in a court, revealed that he was involved in a murder for gain case, in which Agricultural Officer Anand of IOB Colony in Tirunelveli was shot dead on May 15, 2007.

“We’ve learnt that the firearm used in this incident is now with an advocate. So we are taking appropriate steps based on this information also,” said Mr. Kannappan.

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