Notorious gangster ‘Seizing’ Raja, key figure in Chennai underworld, shot dead in police custody

Starting retired arsenic a conveyance repossession agent, which gave N Raja the moniker ‘Seizing’ Raja, helium became a cardinal fig successful Chennai’s underworld and 1 of the astir wanted men successful the region.

There has been an intensive manhunt for Raja successful caller weeks – with posters bearing images of his look and transgression grounds plastered successful respective areas astir Chennai. A elder serviceman said helium had 10 warrants pending against him and that helium had skipped tribunal appearances respective times.

On Sunday evening, a peculiar task unit arrested Raja from betwixt the cities of Kadappa and Rajahmundry successful Andhra Pradesh. He was past brought to Chennai for questioning.

The pursuing morning, constabulary took him to Akkarai, a quiescent residential area, to allegedly retrieve a cache of weapons utilized successful a drawstring of convulsive crimes. Police claimed that astatine the betterment site, Raja made a hopeless effort to escape, drafting a country-made revolver and firing astatine the officers.

“He opened fire, and the constabulary had nary prime but to sprout back,” a elder serviceman said.

After helium was deed by gunfire, Raja was rushed to Royapettah Government Hospital, wherever helium was declared dormant connected arrival, constabulary said.

This brushwood marks the 3rd high-profile sidesplitting of a history-sheeter successful Chennai since July. Earlier this month, ‘Kakkathoppu’ Balaji, labelled by the constabulary arsenic different “A-plus class rowdy”, was killed successful a akin brushwood adjacent Perambur, conscionable days aft constabulary gunned down Thiruvengadam, a fishy successful the Armstrong execution case.

In the past 2 months, constabulary person conducted operations that led to the detention of much than 150 individuals nether the Goondas Act, and the apprehension of astir 375 gangsters.

Police person classified gangsters into assorted categories based connected the severity of their crimes, with Raja and Balaji falling into the “A-plus category” – reserved for those progressive successful 2 oregon much murders.

Raja has been progressive successful much than 30 cases, including six of execution and six of attempted murder.

Detailing Raja’s emergence successful the satellite of crime, a elder serviceman said, “His transgression past began arsenic a repossession cause for a backstage bank, seizing vehicles from defaulters, an concern that earned him the moniker ‘Seizing’ Raja. But soon, helium turned to much lucrative and convulsive pursuits, involving himself successful Chennai’s existent property business, settling disputes done extrajudicial methods oregon kangaroo courts.”

“His underworld web expanded done the city’s suburbs, and helium developed a estimation arsenic 1 of Chennai’s astir feared gangsters,” the serviceman said.

Twice arrested successful Andhra Pradesh, Raja had ever recovered a mode to gaffe distant from constabulary custody oregon hold tribunal proceedings. “But Armstrong’s execution tightened the surveillance connected him,” an serviceman said.

For the past 3 years, helium had been moving his cognition from Andhra Pradesh and had an progressive pack of 20 members, an serviceman said. Several of his pack members had been arrested successful the past 2 months.