Prison no bar to order looting

PUDUCHERRY: A Vellore central jail inmate masterminded an attack in Madagadipet by contacting accomplices in Puducherry using a mobile phone.  Superintendent of Police (Rural) Deivasigamani told reporters that Vellore (TN) Central prison inmate, ‘Jana’ - jailed under the Goondas Act - used his cell phone on January 28, to call Kumar, owner of AKR bar, and threatened him to give money to some persons. On January 29, four persons ransacked the bar, attacked the manager and escaped with `5,000, when he refused to hand over cash. The SP said nine persons were arrested. Two of the accused - Aswin and Eli Udayakumar - are absconding. The four-member gang was led by Aswin; all others were relatives of Jana, he said.Jana has been involved in a murder case in Puducherry and two other murder cases in TN. The police found 261 calls (both incoming and outgoing) made to Jana’s mobile between January 23 and 29, the day of the attack. It is also believed that similar calls were made to other bar-owners.The Superintendent of Vellore central jail has been informed and a case filed against Jana. Investigations by police officials Gunasekaran, Lokanathan and Pandurangan led to the arrests.