CHENNAI: A special police team on Thursday arrested nine history-sheeters from two separate places in Somangalam and
Sriperumbudur and said it had foiled an attempt to extort money from a businessman. Investigators are now questioning the apprehended men to see if they any of them were involved in Tuesday's murder of a head constable in the area.
Early on Thursday, based on specific information that that a gang of history-sheeters armed with weapons was planning to confront the businessman and extort money, a team led by assistant superintendent of police Rajesh Kanna narrowed down on five of them at Kattarambakkam, three kilometres from Somangalam.
The arrested were identified as B Lenin, 28, of
Nadu Veerapattu, Gopinath, 29, of Kasarangal, R Palani, 33, of Erumaiyuppu and M Ragu, 32, of
Chromepet.
A search of the Scorpio in which the gang was travelling when stopped revealed five knives. After interrogating the nabbed men, police narrowed down on four more suspects including Naresh Babu, a close aide of Lenin.
Preliminary inquiries showed that the suspects had earlier threatened the businessman, who runs a scrap business, and were coming to extort money from him. The gang usually targeted business people and demanded 'protection money' from them. All the arrested have been sent to jail by a magistrate's court.
Of those arrested, the investigation officers said, Lenin and Gopinath were involved in the murder of lawyer Akilan in Kavangarai near Red Hills, while Ragu was a suspect in a 2009 murder. Police said Lenin and Gopinath were facing at least 14 cases each including four murders and attempt to murder.
A police officer said, "We are inquiring if they have involved in connection with any criminal activities." It is also suspected that some of the men who were arrested could have been involved in the death of head constable Mohan Raj, whose body, with the head smashed in, was found on Tuesday morning near a school in Sunguvarchathiram police limits.
B Lenin