Raid on ‘Aadu’ Antony’s house

KOLLAM: Household and electronic goods worth more than Rs 50 lakh, seized by the Kollam police from the rented apartment of Antony Varghese alias “Aadu” Antony at Madhavaram in Chennai, were brought here in a lorry. Antony, who is absconding, is wanted by the police in connection with the murder of civil police officer Maniyan Pillai. City Police Commissioner Debesh Kumar Behera said that most of the goods were stolen property. The seized goods, numbering around 325, include home theatres, laptops, music systems, desktop computers, LCD TVs, induction cookers, fridges, split air-conditioners, CD players, microwave oven, projectors, electric kettles, remote control speakers, expensive watches, statues of idols, costly traditional lamps and bottles of expensive imported liquor. Some of the latest electronic goods are yet to be identified and the police have sought the help of a professional for that. During robberies Antony targeted computer and electronic items and then sold them pretending to be a salesperson, the police said.


Antony took the apartment on rent by introducing himself as a computer salesman. The police suspect that he had taken a couple of other apartments on rent in different parts of Chennai. Usually, he never stayed at one apartment for more than three to four months. It was during a routine patrol duty at about 1 am on June 26 that Pillai was fatally stabbed by Antony, the police said. He stabbed Pillai and assistant sub inspector K. Joy when they found him in a vehicle at that odd hour. He drove off in the van and later abandoned it at Ayiroor near Varkala. Initially police were not aware of the identity of the man who killed Pillai. Later, based on scientific evidence and descriptions given by Joy the police identified the killer as Antony. The police believe Antony had escaped to Tamil Nadu soon after the murder since he has several contacts there, the police said.