Auto Shankar
Encyclopedia
Auto Shankar is the nickname
of an India
n serial killer
.
In late 1988, over a period of approximately six months, nine teenage girls from the Thiruvanmiyur
section of Chennai
disappeared. In the beginning, investigators believed that the girls had been sold into prostitution
by families unable to afford wedding dowries
, but the consistent denials by their kin forced them to seek another explanation.
Late in December, a schoolgirl named Subalakshmi claimed that an auto rickshaw driver had attempted to abduct her in front of a wine shop. Working undercover in the local wine shop back-rooms, detective
s learned of a rumour that an auto driver called Shankar was behind the crime
s, disposing of the bodies by cremating
them and pouring the remains into the Bay of Bengal
. The following morning, the police
picked up the suspect who overnight became known to the nation as "Auto Shankar".
During his trial, Shankar blamed films for "making a devil of him"; however, a month before his execution, he told reporters that he had kidnapped the girls for powerful state politicians, subsequently disposing them of after his patrons had rape
d them. Auto Shankar was hanged
in Salem Central Prison.
. The accomplices were Shankar's brother, Mohan, Selva (alias Selvaraj) and the jail warders Kannan, Balan and Rahim Khan. They were found guilty of criminal conspiracy and resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension.
Subsequently, Mohan was also found guilty of the six murders and was given three life sentences. Mohan had earlier escaped from the Chennai Central Prison
in August 1990 and was re-arrested in Pune
on June 25, 1992.
.
The trial has become widely known across the nation since the Supreme Court invoked the American free speech doctrine and the case became oft-quoted in relation to cases of expose
.
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
of an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
.
Murders
Shankar and his gang were found guilty of six murders, committed over a period of two years in 1988–1989. They were tried for the murders of Lalitha, Sudalai, Sampath, Mohan, Govindaraj and Ravi. The bodies of the victims were either burnt or buried inside residential houses.In late 1988, over a period of approximately six months, nine teenage girls from the Thiruvanmiyur
Thiruvanmiyur
-Transport:The area is easily accessible by Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses and has a sprawling bus terminus. Bus Routes connecting Thiruvanmiyur with other places in Chennai are: 1, 1A, 1C, 1D, 6D, 22A, 23C Extn., 29M,29C Extn., 41C, A47, 47A, 47D, M1, M49, M7, C51, T51, M23, M19, M70,...
section of Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
disappeared. In the beginning, investigators believed that the girls had been sold into prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
by families unable to afford wedding dowries
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
, but the consistent denials by their kin forced them to seek another explanation.
Late in December, a schoolgirl named Subalakshmi claimed that an auto rickshaw driver had attempted to abduct her in front of a wine shop. Working undercover in the local wine shop back-rooms, detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
s learned of a rumour that an auto driver called Shankar was behind the crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
s, disposing of the bodies by cremating
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
them and pouring the remains into the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
. The following morning, the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
picked up the suspect who overnight became known to the nation as "Auto Shankar".
Trial
Shankar's trial was completed by the Chengalpattu sessions court; He was sentenced to death along with two of his associates, Eldin and Shivaji, on May 31, 1991.During his trial, Shankar blamed films for "making a devil of him"; however, a month before his execution, he told reporters that he had kidnapped the girls for powerful state politicians, subsequently disposing them of after his patrons had rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d them. Auto Shankar was hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
in Salem Central Prison.
Associates
In 2002, Shankar's five accomplices were sentenced to six months of Rigorous Imprisonment after having been found guilty by a MagistrateMagistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
. The accomplices were Shankar's brother, Mohan, Selva (alias Selvaraj) and the jail warders Kannan, Balan and Rahim Khan. They were found guilty of criminal conspiracy and resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension.
Subsequently, Mohan was also found guilty of the six murders and was given three life sentences. Mohan had earlier escaped from the Chennai Central Prison
Chennai Central Prison
Madras Central Prison was one of the oldest prisons in India. It was located in Chennai in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began operational during the British rule in India in 1837. Prisoners from the prison were moved to the newly constructed Puzhal Central Prison starting from 2006...
in August 1990 and was re-arrested in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
on June 25, 1992.
Responses
K. Vijay Kumar, the Tamil Nadu Additional Director-General of Police, claimed that cinema was solely responsible for making Shankar a criminal. He mentioned this during a seminar on "Crime and Media" in KeralaKerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
The trial has become widely known across the nation since the Supreme Court invoked the American free speech doctrine and the case became oft-quoted in relation to cases of expose
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
.