Boxer Vadivelu – The memorable real-life character “Siga” in Sorgavaasal

Boxer Vadivelu was a criminal from Power Kuppam, Kasimedu of Tamil Nadu. He was a fisherman by profession. His death in Chennai Central Prison in November 1999 due to liver failure, which resulted in a riot inside the prison premises killing 10 people, including a prison official, were killed, while more than 100 people were injured. 2024 Tamil film Sorgavaasal was based on 1999 Madras Central Prison riots.

Boxer Vadivelu started his professional career through extortion

Vadivelu nick named as “Boxer” grew up in Chennai outskirts. He started by collecting extortion money from the markets at the Royapuram fishing harbour. He slowly got into the records of police as a Goonda, but got the image of a ‘Robinhood’ among the locals. Then he started transporting foreign liquor and goods from Kasimedu, Royapuram and Chennai harbours. He was also involved in smuggling, contract killing etc.

A “God Father” figure in the Chennai suburbs

He used to settle disputes among the locals and was a popular figure. Slowly he grew as a power in smuggling, contract killing and extortion in North Chennai. His gang attacked the office of the Tharasu magazine on August 14 1991, killing two of its employees. Initially, the local police filed the chargesheet against 13 persons, including the former Home Secretary, Mr. R. Nagarajan. He later obtained the political patronage of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, which invited rivalry with gangster Ayodhya Kuppam Veeramani. It was also rumoured that he was a henchman of a Chennai-based former minister from the same party.

He got arrested and jailed in 1999

The notorious gangster of north Chennai was lodged in the Central Prison under the Goondas Act since February last 1999. Even while spending there, he ran a parallel administration within the jail which was a headache to the officials. He soon gained popularity among the inmates as well.

In November 1999 he died following a prolonged bout of diarrhoea. He complained about serious stomach pain, was taken to hospital where he was declared dead. As 37-year old Vadivelu was a healthy person, a boxer with 110 kg weight, the prison inmates of which more than 100 followers refused to believe that their leader died of diarrhoea. They believed that there was a conspiracy behind his death and that the prison authorities killed him.

A violence was triggered by Vadivelu’s supporters

The inmates organized together and caused a riot inside the jail premises. The 20-strong jail staff found themselves outnumbered 100 to 1, and very soon the supporters took over the control of the premises. The prisoners took hold of anything they could lay their hands on to launch their attack, which include kitchen knives to carpenter tools to casuarina logs. Their aim was to create havoc and escape from the prison. Jail authorities managed to suppress the riot. But Deputy Jailor S. Jayakumar was burned to death.

Many documents detailing the 200-year-old history of the Central Prison were lost. It included particulars about freedom fighters who were lodged inside the jail.

A postmortem was done on the gangster in a highly transparent manner

As requested by Boxer Vadivelu’s wife, a postmortem was conducted in a highly transparent manner and the whole procedure was video-graphed. She alleged that Jail authorities and few politicians were behind the death of her husband. The state Government said it would make public. But nothing came out. The overcrowded Madras Central Prison which was 172-year old was demolished in June 2009, while prisoners were moved to the newly constructed Puzhal Central Prison starting in 2006.

The critically acclaimed Tamil film Sorgavaasal was based on the Chennai prison riots of 1999. Selvaraghavan played Vadivelu’s role. His character name was Sigamani “Siga”. It was shown in the film that he wanted to give up crimes and accept Christianity.

Boxer Vadivelu – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. Vadivelu played a cameo part as a Gunda in the 1997 crime movie Omkaram directed by Upendra. It was his single big screen appearance.

2. His suspicious death while he was an inmate of Chennai Prison, led to infamous 1999 Prisoner riots leading to the death of many.