Karnataka gang held for assaulting Chennai businessmen

CHENNAI: Police on Thursday arrested 11 persons from Karnataka after they assaulted and threatened two city businessmen at  knife-point and attempted to waylay them during a business transaction near Pallavaram on Wednesday evening.

T. Babu (49) of Nehru Nagar, Pallavaram runs a scrap iron business along with his friend, Aaroon Rashid (26) of Pallavaram. The duo used to buy scrap iron from a construction company, BLR Construction,  on Pallavaram Thoraipakkam radial road. On Wednesday, around 5 pm, the duo went to purchase the scrap iron when the incident happened.

They had taken their truck and were loading the scrap when a gang from Karnataka had come, also to buy the scrap iron. The gang entered into an argument with the duo and the verbal duel escalated into a brawl.

All of a sudden, the gang took weapons from their cars and threatened the businessmen at knifepoint and attempted to waylay them and escape with the scrap iron load. Hearing their screams, a crowd gathered and the gang attempted to flee. Pallavaram police rushed to the scene on information and secured the gang.

The businessmen were moved to a hospital for treatment. Eleven persons- F Sheikh Khan (40), Zakid Zameer (34), Syed Mubarak (24), Mohammed Salim (30), S Richardson (29), M Pradeep Raj (25), K Jairamesh (36), R Stephen Raj (20), K Mohan (33), M Mukaithir Basha (32) and Naeem Sharif (29) - all residents of Bengaluru - were arrested. Three cars and weapons were seized from them. They were produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.