Chennai police have shot dead 24 rowdies in encounters over the last five years, yet are still unable to trace or get close to high-profile offenders such as CD Mani and “Sambavam” Senthil, according to a report citing senior police officials.
The officials said that between 1998 and 2026, a total of 108 people—including rowdies and chain-snatching robbers—were killed in encounters. In the most recent five-year period, those killed included Kaaka Thoppu Balaji, Seizing Raja, Trichy Jagan, Durai in Pudukkottai and Neeravi Murugan in Tirunelveli.
Senior IPS officers recalled that organised rowdyism in North Chennai has seen multiple waves since the 1970s, with gangs and individuals such as Subbaiya, Benjamin, Ayothikuppam Veeramani, Vellai Ravi, Cera, Aasaithambi, Kapilan, Kaattaan Subramaniyan and Gate Rajendran gaining notoriety over time.
They said some notorious offenders were later eliminated in encounters, and that the posting of “encounter specialist” officers in areas where rowdies lived often led them to vacate their homes. However, the officials argued that targeting only lower-level rowdies has not reduced crime, and that CD Mani and “Sambavam” Senthil—described as “A+” offenders—continue to evade police.
The officers also alleged that such top-level criminals recruit teenagers and young men aged 15 to 23 into ganja dealing, acclimatise them to prison life and gradually turn them into rowdies. They said crime cannot be effectively controlled unless the activities of these “A+” offenders are brought to an end.
