Chennai: The death of Tamil Nadu police DIG Vijayakumar, who shot to fame for his rare exploits, brought the curtains down on the eventful life of a super cop admired by many.
During his brief stint with the Tamil Nadu police, DIG Vijayakumar earned what many had probably envied. From chasing the dreaded Bavaria gangsters, who were involved in the gruesome murder of a former legislator, in far-off Haryana and unravelling crimes which had no hope of resolution, his action-packed career seems straight out of a Bollywood flick.
His suicide resembles the death of Mumbai’s top cop Himanshu Roy, who was found dead at his residence in 2018. The Additional Director General of Police (establishment) Maharashtra had shot himself in the mouth with his service revolver at his home in Nariman Point.
Though two blockbusters, including one by actor Vijay, the reigning monarch of Kollywood, were inspired by him, he continued to keep a low profile. Hailing from Bodinayakanur in Theni district, the 2009 batch IPS officer was only 47 and had been a Deputy SP in 2003, entering the Group I Service by clearing the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) examination.
When the movie 'Theri' hit the silver screen in 2016, it became known that the film was largely based on his successful investigation into the gang rape and murder of an IT employee at night in Siruseri near Chennai in 2014. The gang had raped the victim, Uma Maheswari, and dumped her body in a bush.
At that time, Vijayakumar was the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Kancheepuram district and it was a challenge for the investigation. It has rattled the IT industry since it happened in the IT corridor of Chennai. However, acting swiftly he was able to unravel the mystery and three migrant workers from the north, accused of committing the crime. Ever ready to grab such sensational real-life crime, Kollywood can't remain silent. The Atlee-directed 'Theri' was essentially an adaptation of this; interestingly, Vijay donned the name of Vijayakumar. Not surprisingly, the film raked in the moolah at the box office.
People of Tamil Nadu came to know about the notorious Bavaria gangs only through the movie 'Theeran Adhigaaram Ondru', which was based on his exploits in the team which had gone as far as Haryana and Rajasthan to secure the culprits involved in the dacoity and brutal murder of former Congress legislator Sudarsanam near Gummidipoondi. He was part of the team under the then DGP SR Jangid, formed to unravel the series of murders and dacoities in that area. The film was a runaway hit and then followed write-ups on who the Bavarias are.
As the SP in the CB-CID, he had handled sensational cases including the TNPSC recruitment scam, the gruesome custodial murder of a father-son duo in Sathankulam, and the Surana gold scam in which 103 kg gold in the custody of the CBI had vanished. To his credit, as Deputy Commissioner in the City, he had arrested the culprits who looted gold jewellery worth Rs 20 crore from a city bank within 48 hours. In his death, the Tamil Nadu police had lost an honest and efficient cop, who had also earned the affection of his subordinates.
