Thiruvananthapuram: The police said a tense situation was prevailing in Barton Hill colony following an intra-gang fight on Friday night. One person was seriously injured and a house damaged in the underworld factional fight.
Anil alias Ani Kuttan, 35, was admitted to the hospital with his right hand severed on the night of June 27. The police have named alleged gang leader “Goondukadu” Shabu as prime suspect in the attempted murder case.
Circle Inspector N.A. Baiju said Anil was Shabu’s close associate. He was looking after Shabu’s financial interests when the “gang leader” was detained in prison under the provisions of the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act. He said Shabu and Anil had become rivals recently. On Sunday night, Anil entered Shabu’s house with a cooking gas cylinder and tried to set the house on fire. Anil’s grievance was that Shabu had not secured his early release after he was arrested in an illicit liquor case.
The police said Shabu rushed his wife and her mother out of the house and cut Anil with a machete in self-defence. He absconded after admitting Anil to a hospital.
On Sunday, persons suspected to be Shabu’s supporters ransacked the house of Anil’s brother, Kunjumon. The CI said Kunjumon was attacked for alerting the police about the incident.
Shabu was arrested last year on the charge of carrying a machete to a public meeting attended by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan. He told the police that he faced threat from rival gangs and had carried the weapon for self protection. Shabu was also arrested last year on the charge of extorting money from a flat builder.
In February 2007, the Fort police booked Shabu on the charge of possessing a fake passport. The police said Shabu had spent five months in Dubai on a visit visa and later travelled to Kish, an Iranian city.
Shabu’s brother, “Goondukadu” Shaji, who was murdered in the 90’s, was accused by the police, along with some Congressmen, of throwing crude bombs at AKG Centre (State headquarters of the Communist Party of India-Marxist). Shabu is currently a member of the Barton Hill unit of the party’s youth wing and president of the local residents’ association.