Gangster ‘CD’ Mani arrested from Salem after NBW in pending case

CHENNAI: Notorious gangster P Manikandan alias ‘CD’ Mani, who once reigned terror in south Chennai, was arrested by a special police team from Chennai on early Sunday morning.

Police sources said Mani was arrested in connection with an NBW (non-bailable warrant) in a pending case.

Mani was also an associate of Kakkathope Balaji, who was killed in a police encounter last Wednesday.

In 2020, members of rival 'Sambo' Senthil's gang attempted to bump off Mani and Balaji by hurling crude bombs at their car on Anna Salai. Both of them had escaped the attempt on their lives.

Once an active gangster involved in extortion, ‘CD’ Mani has no fresh cases against him in recent times.

According to his lawyers, over 15 cases are pending against Mani, and he has been attending court in all cases without fail. “He was taken from a rented house in Salem where he had been staying in a reformed manner without getting involved in any illegal activities. But the police team headed by one sub-inspector named Kanakaraj took him away in a vehicle (TN 07 6070),” his lawyer added.

Rallying for Mani, his father, Parthasarathy, penned a letter to the State Human Rights Commission describing that his son has reformed and has no cases registered against him in the last several years.

It was further submitted that he has been regularly attending the court sessions and has no pending warrant against him in any court of law. Parthasarathy also addressed the Chief Minister’s cell and state head of the police force in another letter.

It read, “My son Manikandan alias CD Mani was arrested from his residence by the special team without any explanations given to the family members. It is submitted that it is causing a huge trauma to our family that there is a threat to my son’s life. We have also registered an online complaint to the State Human Rights Commission. Therefore, to ensure my son’s safety, it is requested that his whereabouts and reasons behind his arrest be informed to me or any of my family members.”

Mani began his life of crime by selling pirated CDs in the 1990s, thus earning the moniker, and soon forayed into violent crimes.

‘CD’ Mani was last arrested in 2021 from Porur when he fired at police and jumped off from a bridge in Porur. He had also been detained under the Goondas Act four times.

Who is ‘CD’ Mani

- ‘CD’ Mani earned his moniker from his first phase in crime, selling pirated CDs in the 1990s

- Since then, he moved on to more violent crimes and controlled the real estate activities in south Chennai

- He was an associate of ‘Kakkathope’ Balaji

- The duo survived a daylight bomb attack in 2020. Crude bombs were hurled at their car by the members of rival ‘Sambo’ Senthil’s gang in Anna Salai