Back-to-back murders near deserted tanks in Coimbatore district raise concerns

The killing of a 10-year-old girl, whose body was found on a parcel of land abutting the scenic Kannampalayam tank on Friday, has further raised concerns about anti-social elements increasingly using deserted areas for crime and substance abuse.

Achankulam, another tank on the city outskirts near Neelambur, which attracts large varieties of local and migratory birds, witnessed the murder of a 41-year-old man on May 18. He was brought to the bund of the tank, surrounded by coconut groves one side, allegedly by two of his coworkers on the night of May 17 and allegedly killed over a petty dispute. All the three men were drunk.

Locals from the area said anti-social elements use deserted areas of the tank bund for consuming liquor and for other activities.

“Like many other tanks that serve as groundwater recharging points of the district, deserted areas of Achankulam have long been a turf of miscreants. Police should patrol these areas frequently,” said M. Manikkaraj, a resident of Muthugounden Pudur and Coimbatore district president of Yermunai Ilaignar Ani.

A birder said that empty liquor bottles, syringes and other materials used by drug users were seen strewn on the bunds of many tanks in Coimbatore, including Achankulam. “Many birders are afraid of going to these tanks alone for fear of miscreants,” said the nature enthusiast.  

A resident of Kannampalayam said on condition of anonymity that the tank in their locality, where the girl was found dead, miscreants hangout on the tank bund and abutting areas for liquor consumption and substance abuse.

“Police patrol is absent in the tank area, due to which miscreants throng the place at night,” he said.

TVK’s Sulur MLA N.M. Sukumar alleged that the previous government failed to ensure safety of the public in the locality. He said immediate measures would be taken to get rid of the activities of anti-social elements.  

Residents have also been demanding fencing around Kannampalayam tank, which is located off Tiruchi Road near Sulur and surrounded by residential areas and farms.

On March 26, two schoolchildren aged 11 drowned in Kannampalayam tank after they ventured into the water.