Three Bawaria gangsters sentenced to life for 2005 murder of ex-AIADMK minister Sudarsanam

Nearly two decades after the brazen and gruesome murder of former minister and AIADMK legislator K Sudarsanam (57) at his residence in the nearby Tiruvallur district, three members of the notorious Bawaria dacoity gang were handed life sentences by a Sessions Court in Chennai.

Convicting the trio earlier on Friday, Sessions Judge Abraham Lincoln pronounced the sentence on Monday. The judge held them guilty of murdering the sitting MLA of Gummidipoondi in the early hours of January 8, 2005 at his house in Thanakulam near Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district.

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According to the chargesheet, the gang had descended on the MLA’s house in the small hours and while one stood outside with a gun, others broke open the front door with axes and attacked the inmates with iron rods. Sudarsanam’s son, Satish Kumar, who confronted the assailants was attacked and the legislator who attempted to protect him was shot at and died on the spot. The legislator’s other son, Vijay, was locked up in his room. The gang leader, who stood guard, fired at neighbours who had come out after hearing the cries for help. The gang decamped on a lorry they had parked at a distance with jewellery, cash, and other valuables.

After the murder of the sitting legislator and former minister, then chief minister J Jayalalithaa ordered to bring to book the killers and a hence special team was formed under the then Police IG, SR Jangid. Investigation into the case revealed that the gang had committed a total of 24 dacoities in which 13 people were killed. It had stolen jewellery and cash worth Rs 2 crore and had struck terror in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh as well.

In the Sudarsanam case, nine members of the gang were arrested, including Oma alias Om Prakash and Boara alias Gunthanlal besides three women. Both Oma and Bora had died in the Vellore prison, while serving life sentences in another case. With the women absconding after getting bail, the trial was split up and only four persons were tried. The chargesheet was filed in 2006 under various sections of the IPC.

The judge convicted the trio while acquitting Jaildar Singh for want of evidence. It was this murder that threw light on the dreaded Bawaria gang, which had also carried out a spate of sensational robberies on the highways. And their capture in Haryana and Rajasthan after many hurdles, including encounters, had been made into a film, ‘Theeran’, which turned out to be a runaway hit. But, the movie concludes with the real heroes, who risked their life in capturing the gangsters, being sidelined without any honour.