3 minors among 8 held for attacking public with sickles in Tenkasi, Nellai districts

Tenkasi/Tirunelveli: A coordinated, cross-district crime spree by a gang of men on two-wheelers has triggered an intense police crackdown across Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts, resulting in the arrest of eight individuals, including three juveniles on Saturday. The gang unleashed a spree of attacks over a 24-hour period, executing extortion attempts and random assaults across multiple villages before police launched a massive manhunt using drones and canine squads to corner the suspects.

Police sources said 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, slashing his left finger when he resisted before speeding away. Undeterred, 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, falling under the Alangulam police jurisdiction in neighboring Tenkasi district. Wearing masks, the gang members attacked villagers and people who came to the village for a wedding with sickles on the main road in Nettur. They also damaged the two-wheelers and four-wheelers parked on the roadside and escaped from the spot. Six people who sustained injuries were rushed to the primary health center in Nettur village. Subsequently, they were shifted to the Alangulam GH. The injured reportedly belong to the SC community.

Subsequently, as the gang tore through Therkupatti village within the Manur police limits in Tirunelveli district, their high-speed reckless driving sparked a sharp verbal altercation with pedestrians. The confrontation turned violent when the gang attacked two bystanders, Mubarak, 30, and Abdul Rahuman, 36, leaving both injured on the roadside before escaping.

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 the remaining members of the gang, police have deployed surveillance drones and a specialized dog squad.

Meanwhile, 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 initiated against known troublemakers to maintain public peace.

A senior police official told TOI that two of the arrested men were history-sheeters. The official also denied the allegation that the attack in Tenkasi was a caste-based attack and said it was due to a previous enmity. The official pointed out 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 109 (attempt to murder) of BNS,” the official added.

Meanwhile, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam condemned the attack at Nettur and called it an attack by caste fanatics.