THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thammanam Shaji’s story is the most stunning instance of a youngster metamorphosing into an underworld don. In 2002, Shaji made it known that he was bidding goodbye to criminal activities. And he embraced spirituality and became the disciple of a Muslim religious scholar who later faced terrorism-related charges. Shaji though was later arrested at the Nedumbassery airport while attempting to sneak to Sri Lanka on a forged passport. He was allegedly being taken there by his one-time spiritual mentor before being sent to Kashmir to join terror groups. Shaji, who now leads a quiet life, has always been nice to those whom he trust. “One can never think of a frail-looking Shaji. He had that much potential and a criminal mind. But he loves those whom he trusts” said a former friend of Shaji. Another prominent goonda Omprakash had his ‘break’ in the sensational Muthoot Paul M George murder case, as it was initially alleged that he was involved in the business scion’s killing. A former student of the Thiruvananthapuram University College, Omprakash was quite active in student politics, which he blamed for dragging him into the unholy politics-crime nexus. “The first case registered against me was in 1999, the Malayankeezhu murder case. I was just 20 then. I was acquitted since it was proved that I was innocent. But the hero image such incidents gave me might have prompted me to engage in more illegal activities,” said Omprakash. And it was in the wake of the Muthoot Paul murder case that Omprakash became a household name among the common public.Currently, Omprakash is the Thiruvananthapuram district treasurer of the SNDP youth movement. He said he has decided to keep away from all kinds of criminal activities as he wanted to turn over a new leaf. “May be true. But a person who has a criminal background can never fully abstain from these. I can also claim so. But when I almost stop these activities, a fear starts developing.Fear that I may be finished. So I keep on having a few such activities to give the feeling to the other gangs that I have not completely stepped back,” said a person who figures in the goonda list of police and runs his operations in central Travancore.
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