New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted searches on the premises of persons suspected to be closely associated with five absconding Proclaimed Offenders (POs) across 15 locations in Tamil Nadu and one location at Karaikal in connection with the NIA case Ramalingam murder case.
The NIA had filed a chargesheet against 18 accused, including the five absconding accused, on August 2, 2019, before the NIA Special Court, Chennai. The NIA Special Court, Chennai, had declared these five absconding accused Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Abdul Majith, Bhurkanudeen, Shahul Hameed and Nafeel Hasan as proclaimed offenders. The NIA has announced a reward of Rs 5 lakhs to the general public and anyone providing information leading to the arrest of the five absconders as proclaimed offenders.
Ramalingam was assassinated on February 5, 2019, in Paku Vinayakam Thoppu, Thanjavur, by members and office bearers of the PFI, who had avenged and conspired to kill him as the victim had intervened in the dawah work and proselytisation carried out by PFI dawah team despatched from Arivagam, Theni, to forcibly convert underprivileged persons in Paku Vinayakm Thoppu.
The investigation established that the violence was unleashed to strike fear among the opponents of the PFI outfit. PFI has been declared as an ‘unlawful association’ under UAPA by the Government of India on September 28, 2022, and Arivagam, Theni has already been attached as proceeds of terrorism u/s 25 of UA(P) Act, 1967.
The searches conducted in the districts of Thanjavur, Trichy, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Thiruvarur and Karaikal led to the seizure of several digital devices and documents connected to the case.
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