Chennai, Jan 25 (IANS): History sheeter and notorious don, Padappai Guna who is accused in 25 criminal cases including murder, surrendered before the Madras High Court on Tuesday. Police were on the lookout for him for a long time.

Guna is involved in murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, and extortion in several cases in Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts of Tamil Nadu. Recently the Kancheepuram police had held a meeting with the industrialists at Sriperumbadur and told them not to succumb to pressure from gangsters for protection money. The Tamil Nadu police in a bid to showcase the state as an investment destination do not want complaints from a place like Sriperumbudur where several Multi-National Corporations (MNCs) have set shop.

Several small units and micro industries were facing trouble from gangsters like Guna who tried to extort money from them.

Tamil Nadu DGP C. Sylendrababu had constituted a special team of police officers led by ADGP, Velladurai considered an expert in cracking high profile criminal cases, to catch Guna and bring him before the law of the land.

Velladurai is himself being named as one of the tough police officers of Tamil Nadu and is being seen in the criminal circles of Tamil Nadu as an encounter specialist. He was also in the team of TN police officers who had killed forest brigand Veerappan in 2004.

He was also part of the Tamil Nadu police team that had gunned down gangster Veeramani in 2003.

Sources in the police told IANS that the constitution of the new police team under ADGP Velladurai had sent shock waves across the criminals in and around the state and the surrender of Padayappa Guna before the Madras High Court is seen as a move to protect himself from the ire of the police officer who is considered as a no-nonsense taskmaster and goes for the kill.