A coordinated cross-district crime spree by a gang of men on two-wheelers has led to an intense police crackdown across Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts in Tamil Nadu. Eight individuals, including three juveniles, were arrested on Saturday following a series of attacks over a 24-hour period. The gang executed extortion attempts and random assaults across multiple villages before police launched a massive manhunt using drones and canine squads.
Chain of Attacks
The attacks began on Thursday within the Ambasamudram police station limits. The gang intercepted Manikandan, 29, in the Brahmadesam area and attempted to extort money from him. When he resisted, they slashed his left finger before fleeing. The gang then targeted a sculpture workshop owned by Selva Ganesan in Vaagaikulam.
The violence escalated on Friday evening when the same gang rode into Nettur village in the Alangulam police jurisdiction of neighboring Tenkasi district. Wearing masks, the gang members attacked villagers and wedding attendees with sickles on the main road. They also damaged parked two-wheelers and four-wheelers before escaping. Six injured individuals were rushed to the primary health center in Nettur and later shifted to the Alangulam Government Hospital. The injured reportedly belong to the Scheduled Caste community.
Later, as the gang tore through Therkupatti village in the Manur police limits of Tirunelveli district, their reckless driving sparked a verbal altercation with pedestrians. The confrontation turned violent when the gang attacked two bystanders, Mubarak, 30, and Abdul Rahuman, 36, leaving them injured on the roadside before escaping.
Police Investigation and Arrests
Separate cases were registered at the Ambasamudram, Alangulam, and Manur police stations. Following an intensive investigation using drones and traditional raids on known criminal hideouts, police arrested eight suspects. To track down remaining gang members, surveillance drones and a specialized dog squad have been deployed.
A large-scale anti-rowdy drive has been initiated across the Tirunelveli range. Police confirmed that history-sheeters and habitual offenders are being monitored and interrogated, with stringent preventive legal actions being taken to maintain public peace.
Official Statements
A senior police official told TOI that two of the arrested men were history-sheeters. The official denied allegations that the attack in Tenkasi was caste-based, attributing it to previous enmity. The official pointed to the attack on two Muslims in Tirunelveli district by the gang. “The arrested men were booked under the Arms Act, the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and Section 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,” the official added.
Meanwhile, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam condemned the attack at Nettur, calling it an attack by caste fanatics.
