Chennai, Jan 20 (IANS): The Avadi Police in Tamil Nadu is searching for the main accused in the brutal murder of two brothers, both classified as “C” category rowdies and history-sheeters.
The incident occurred on Saturday, January 18 and a special investigation team revealed that the murders were triggered by a quarrel between the brothers — Rettamalai Srinivasan (27) and Stalin Srinivasan (24) — and a man named Ganesh.
Following the altercation, Ganesh and his associates, Madesh and Tarun, fled and remain at large.
According to sources, the brothers, reportedly under the influence of alcohol, got into a verbal altercation with the trio, who rode past them on a two-wheeler near Ayalacheri on the evening of January 18.
After a heated exchange, the trio initially left but later returned with more men and deadly weapons. The group attacked the brothers, who attempted to flee. However, the attackers first cornered Stalin on Ayalacheri Main Road and stabbed him to death. They later pursued and killed Rettamalai in a grove at Dhanalakshmi Nagar.
The Avadi Police recovered the bodies and sent them for post-mortem examination at the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital.
Five suspects — N. Praveen (19), P. Balaji (25), M. Karthik (20), N. Naveen Kumar (20), and K. Sathya (20), all residents of Pattabiram — have been arrested and remanded in judicial custody.
Inspector Jagannathan of Pattabiram Police Station has been suspended for alleged inaction regarding monitoring history-sheeters in his jurisdiction.
Sources informed IANS that Inspector Jagannathan failed to act on a list of history-sheeters provided by headquarters, which had instructed Station House Officers to keep a close watch on their movements.
The suspension comes after the murder G. Rettamalai Srinivasan and G. Stalin.
The duo had several cases registered against them at the Pattabiram Police Station.
The Tamil Nadu Police have been under intense scrutiny following the brutal murder of BSP Tamil Nadu President K. Armstrong on July 5, 2024.
The incident raised questions about the state’s law and order situation.
In response, Chennai Police intensified their actions against criminal elements, leading to a series of controversial encounter killings.
The key accused in Armstrong’s murder, Thiruvengadam, was killed in an alleged police encounter.
According to the police, Thiruvengadam, who was directly involved in the murder, was shot dead while being brought to the Madhavaram Lake premises to gather evidence.
The police claimed they were forced to open fire after he attempted to attack them when his handcuffs were removed.
In another incident, a history-sheeter named Kakkathope Balaji, who had over 60 criminal cases against him, was killed in an encounter at Vyasarpadi.
The police stated that Balaji tried to attack them, prompting them to fire in self-defence.
Additionally, Chennai Police shot and killed an underworld don known as ‘Seizing’ Raja. Raja, who had been arrested in Andhra Pradesh, was being brought to Chennai when he was killed in what police described as a self-defence encounter.
The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has taken cognisance of these killings and has summoned Chennai City Police Commissioner M. Arun to provide an explanation.
Commissioner Arun, who assumed office on July 7, 2024, remarked during a media interaction that the police would “deal with rowdies in the language they understand,” signaling a tough stance against criminal activities.
The recent events have sparked debates about law enforcement methods, accountability, and human rights concerns, drawing both criticism and support from various quarters.