A notorious Chennai-based gangster who has around 70 criminal cases registered against him including murder and dacoity, was nabbed by the police at Erode Tuesday evening, police said.
Balamurugam (Balu), 40, from Vyasarpadi has been eluding the Chennai police for past several years. Of the 70 cases registered against him, over 30 were in the trial process when Balu absconded from Chennai and started living in Erode.
Recently, the Ambattur police had formed a team to nab Balu who had several pending warrants against him and was looking for him in Salem, Tiruchy and Chennai.
After a futile search that lasted several weeks, the police team traced him at a locality near Veerappanchatram in Erode town where he lived with his wife Nithya and their 8-year-old son for past three years in a rented accommodation.
“Tuesday evening, Balu had gone to an ATM centre near Panneerselvam Park when police in plainclothes rounded him. Suspecting them to be rival gang members, Balu tried to fight with them when he was overpowered and arrested,” police said.
The accused was later taken to Chennai where he will be remanded to judicial custody.