Chennai: 3 cops shifted, SP orders closure of 101 illegal bars

Chennai: A day after a 38-year-old bar manager set himself on fire outside the Mamallapuram DSP office, the Kancheepuram SP on Wednesday transferred three police officers to the control room. The SP has also ordered the closure of all the illegal bars operating in the district.

The deceased Nellaiappan, a native of Thirunelveli district, was living in a rented house in Thiruporur and managed a private bar in the locality. He ran these bars on behalf of AIADMK workers in Thiruporur and Mamallapuram and helped them spread the business to nearby towns. On Tuesday morning he allegedly immolated self outside the DSP office.

Investigations by the police revealed that Nellaiyappan, before immolating, had uploaded three videos admitting that he enjoyed clout among politicians and police officers but was being forced to take the extreme step due to immense pressure from them. In the clips uploaded on his Facebook page, the deceased claimed that he had collected and handed over about Rs 19 crore to an AIADMK worker in the locality and gave lakhs of rupees to three police personnel attached to Thiruporur and Mamallapuram police stations.

Nellaiyappan said he was being harassed by police and politicians for bribes to run bars. Following this, he doused himself in kerosene. Police took him to the government hospital in Chengalpet with 82% burns from where he was shifted to the  Kilpauk Medical College were a dying declaration was taken by the Magistrate Gayathri. He succumbed to burns on Tuesday night.

Following the gruesome incident, the Kancheepuram SP Santhosh Hadimani on Wednesday transferred Thiruporur Inspector Kannan, Mamallapuram DSP Subburaj and Mamallapuram Inspector Pandian to the control room. He also formed a special team to nab the AIADMK worker mentioned in the video. The SP also ordered the closure of 101 illegal bars operating in the Kancheepuram district.

Three illegal bars in Tiruporur were sealed on Wednesday by him, sources said.