Case against six in Kollam for bid to form gangster headquarters

The Kollam East Police have registered a case against six men who allegedly attempted to form a gangster association and establish an office in the city. The action follows the emergence of disturbing visuals of the group holding a meeting while brandishing firearms and other lethal weapons. Authorities identified and arrested Manikandan (50) of Irattakulangara, Noufal (40) of Jonakapuram, Zacharia (37) of Shaktikulangara, Sherin (39) of Mundakkal, Shanu (28) of Pallithottam, and Nizamuddin (53) of Kadappakkada. The accused were charged under Section 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) but were later released on bail.

Investigation revealed that the incidents occurred over several days in January at a residence in Mundakkal. During these gatherings, the group took photographs posing with guns and filmed videos claiming they were establishing a formal headquarters for their criminal association near the Sharada Math in Kollam. Additional footage showed the men dancing on public roads to loud music, an act the police believe was orchestrated to assert dominance and intimidate the local community.

The police took suo motu cognizance of the matter after the provocative videos began circulating on social media. There have been similar instances, where individuals have drawn police action for celebrating birthdays in public by cutting cakes with machetes and sharing the footage online to gain notoriety.