Gangster wanted in 7 murders held in robbery case

CHENNAI: The city police on Sunday said they had arrested gangster 'Ennore' Dhanasekaran, wanted in at least 40 criminal cases including seven murders, on a robbery charge.

Police apprehended Dhanasekaran, 37, on Sunday morning on a complaint Kumaran, 48, a lorry driver with a transport firm in Manali New Town. Kumaran informed the Manali New Town police that Dhanasekaran and two other men threatened him at knifepoint and robbed him of 2,500.

A police team headed by Washermenpet inspector Jawahar arrested Dhanasekaran from a hideout in Ennore and registered a case against him under various sections of the IPC (including robbery, and robbery or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt).

"When Dhanasekaran saw policemen closing in on him, he tried to escape in his car but crashed the vehicle and injured himself," an investigating officer said.

Dhanasekaran, a graduate in English literature, almost made it to the police force in 1999 but the department rejected him over a booking in an assault case.

He has been involved in criminal activities for more than a decade, he said. "He extorted money from companies in Ennore and surrounding areas and was involved in the murder of rival gang members across the state," the officer said.

"Dhanasekaran masterminded the murder of rowdy Kaaleeshwaran alias Kali of Ennore in 2004, Karuppu Raja of Red Hills in 2005, Periya Muthu in Ennore and Ashok (the brother of notorious gangster Vadakarai Sakthi) in 2009."

In the most recent homicide linked to the repeat offender, police named Dhanasekaran as the main suspect after an eight-man gang hacked to death a businessman near the Ennore Thermal Power Station on August 13.

Investigators said Dhanasekaran planned the slaying of James, 38, a resident of Burma Nagar, Ennore, who provided workers on contract to the thermal power plant and other factories in the area.

Police have booked Dhanasekaran under the Goondas Act five times. Investigators are searching for his accomplices, Thanjavur Mathi and Ulundurpettai Mumurthy.

Rivals attempted to bump off Dhanasekaran in 2012, while he was playing carroms with his children. An eight-member gang hurled bombs into his house, blowing out windowpanes, but Dhanasekaran managed to escape with injuries.