From Altap Pandi to Attack Pandi

MADURAI:  ‘Altap’ in colloquial Tamil means someone who boasts too much and this was the moniker by which he was first listed in  Vilakuthoon Police Station about ten years ago. Then ‘Altap’ was transformed into ‘Attack’ Pandi since he used to cut his hair in an ‘Attack’ style (a term used locally).It is said that his family relocated to Madurai from Kallakari (near Kamudhi) in the early 1970s after their place was  affected by drought.‘Attack’ Pandi is the seventh and the youngest of the lot. He has five sisters, Muthu, Amma Ponnu (her son Vijayapandian was one of the accused acquitted in Dinakaran attack case), Panchavarnam, Kaladevi and Velammal. Panchavarnam stood for the Corporation Ward Council election in 2006 and lost to the AIADMK. This irked her family who went on a rampage in the area. Based on the elected Council Member’s husband Jeyapaul, a case was registered against the family of ‘Attack’ Pandi.The family along with other relatives started settling in Keeraithurai which was once concentrated with Pillaimar and Sourashtra population, but now is largely occupied by Thevar community people.During AIADMK regime, ‘Attack’ Pandi was alleged to have been selling lottery tickets in Arupukottai.Later, he became well acquainted with  Alagiri, especially after everyone ditched the DMK strongman after the murder of former DMK minister Tha Kiruttinan.He was then rewarded with the key post of  Agricultural Marketing Committee chairman but was later stripped off the post. He regularly takes the market contract in Thavittu Chandai.’