Auto Shankar
Auto Shankar | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 21, 1954 Kangeyanallur, Vellore District, India |
| Died | April 27, 1995 (aged 41) |
| Cause of death | hanging - death penalty |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | 6 |
Span of crimes | 1975–1989 |
| Country | India |
| State(s) | Tamilnadu |
Gowri Shankar (January 21, 1954 – April 27, 1995) aka Auto Shankar was a notorious serial killer and a criminal from the region of Madras .[1][2]
Murders
Shankar and his gang, consisting of his younger brother Auto Mohan and associates Eldin and Shivaji, as well as Jayavelu, Rajaraman, Ravi, Palani and Paramasivam, were found guilty of six murders, committed over a period of two years in 1988–1989.[3] They were tried for the murders of Lalitha, Sudalai, Sampath, Mohan, Govindaraj and Ravi.[3]
Trial
Shankar's trial was held at the Chengalpattu sessions court.[3] He was sentenced to death along with two of his associates, Eldin and Shivaji, on May 31, 1991.[3] Auto Shankar was hanged in Salem Central Prison.[3]
Associates
In 1992, Shankar's five accomplices were sentenced to six months of Rigorous Imprisonment after having been found guilty by a Magistrate.[4] The accomplices were Shankar's brother, Mohan, Selva (alias Selvaraj) and the jail wardens Kannan, Balan and Rahim Khan.[4] They were found guilty of criminal conspiracy and resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension.[4]
Subsequently, Mohan was also found guilty of the six murders and was given three life sentences.[3] Mohan had escaped from the Chennai Central Prison in August 1990 and was captured in Pune on June 25, 1992.[3]
Responses
K. Vijay Kumar, the Tamil Nadu Additional Director-General of Police, claimed that cinema was solely responsible for making Shankar a criminal.[5] He mentioned this during a seminar on "Crime and Media" in Kerala.
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 journalistic exposés.[6][7][8]
In Popular Culture
- Malayalam Actor Appani Sarath played Auto Shankar in ZEE5 series Auto Shankar.
- The 1990 Tamil language film Pulan Visaranai directed by R. K. Selvamani was partially inspired by Auto Shankar's crimes.[9]
- A documentary television series based on his life was aired on Makkal TV.[10]
- Crime Patrol (TV series) aired an episode on Sony TV based on the story of Auto Shankar.[11]
See also
- Charles Shobraj
- Joshi-Abhyankar serial murders
- Noida serial murders
- Raman Raghav
- Capital punishment in India
References
- ^ Thomas, K.M. (9 September 1990). "The mass murderer of Madras". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
- ^ "Auto Shankar, two others sentenced to death". The Indian Express. 1 June 1991. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g The Hindu : Auto Shankar's brother gets life imprisonment
- ^ a b c The Hindu : RI for jail wardens in 'Auto' Shankar case
- ^ The Hindu : Media, police should not harm society's interests
- ^ The Hindu : Whistles, stings and slapps
- ^ The Hindu : Tehelka: what next?
- ^ The Hindu : The Tehelka Commission
- ^ http://www.bbthots.com/reviews/rewind/pvisaaranai.html
- ^ http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/The-Radha-MGR-episode/article15386008.ece
- ^ "Auto Shankar: ZEE5 web series on serial killer Gowri Shankar premiers on 23 April". The Statesman. 6 April 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- 1954 births
- 1995 deaths
- 20th-century executions by India
- Crime in Tamil Nadu
- Criminals from Tamil Nadu
- Executed Indian people
- Executed serial killers
- Indian criminals
- Indian people convicted of murder
- Indian serial killers
- Male serial killers
- People convicted of murder by India
- People executed by India by hanging