Karunanidhi orders crackdown on history sheeters, mercenaries

Chennai, Nov 22 (UNI) Taking serious note of the recent political murders, involving mercenaries in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today directed the state police to launch a crackdown on mercenaries and history sheeters and ensure that there were no custodial deaths.

The Chief Minister gave the directive while addressing a high-level meeting with his senior ministerial colleagues and top civil and police officials, at the secretariat this evening, an official release here said.

The meeting to review the law and order situation in the state was held in the backdrop of last week's murders of DMK Tiruvarur District secretary and two functionaries of the opposition AIADMK, involving mercenaries.

After a detialed discussion, the Chief Minister directed the top police brass to identify mercenaries, history sheeters and gangsters and cripple their activities, the release said.

The police should be very careful and ensure that there was no custodial death under any cicumstances in the state, it added.

This assumed significance in the wake of alleged custodial death at Kullanchavadi police station in Cuddalore district two days ago, which triggered violence and law and order problem in the area.

The police should never indulge in civil matters and should step up the night patrolling to check the movement of anti-social elements. Police should also ensure that there was no theft, decoity and burglaries in the city suburbs, the release said.

Expressing concern over fatal road accidents, Mr Karunanidhi asked the traffic police to ensure that the drivers obeyed traffic rules and avoided accidents. The traffic police should work in coordination with the transport department and avoid road accidents, he suggested.

The Police should prevent prisoners from indulging in illegal activities in the prison and they should initiate stern action against the prison staff who collided with the prisoners.

The meeting was attended by senior ministers K Anbazhagan, Aroct N Veerasamy, Veerapandi S Arumugam, Ko Si Mani, Duraimurugan, K Ponmudi, K K S S R Ramachandran and E V Velu.

Chief Secretary L K Tripathy, Home Secretary S Malathi, Director General of Police P Rajendran, Additional Director General of Police K Vijayakumar, City Police Commissioner Nanjil Kumaran, Inspector Generals and senior police officials also participated in the meeting, the release added.

UNI