NIA Searches Multiple Locations In Tamil Nadu In 2019 Murder Case Of PMK Functionary

Searches were conducted at different locations in the state in Madurai, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli and Mayiladuthurai districts among others, reported PTI quoting police sources as saying. 

NIA conducts raids at several location across Tamil Nadu/Representational Image

Source : ANI

The National Investigation Agency on Sunday conducted searches at multiple locations across Tamil Nadu in connection with the murder of a former Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) functionary in 2019 at Thirubhuvanam in Thanjavur district. 21 locations were searched by the federal investigation agency in connection with the killing of K Ramalingam who was hacked to death by a group of individuals, hours after he reportedly questioned some alleged conversion attempts in the town.

"NIA today raided the homes of five absconding Proclaimed Offenders (POs) and suspects across 21 locations in Tamil Nadu in the PFI conspiracy case relating to the brutal assassination of a man for protesting against forcible conversions by the banned outfit," the agency stated.

It informed that the raids in the districts of Thanjavur, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Tirupur, Villupuram, Trichy, Pudukottai, Coimbatore, and Mayiladuthurai, led to the seizure of several digital devices (mobile phones, SIM cards, and memory cards) and documents.

Some persons were already apprehended by the NIA in connection with the case while a few suspects are said to be absconding, as per PTI's report.  

On Sunday, searches were held in different locations in the state in Madurai, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli and Mayiladuthurai districts among others, the report stated quoting police sources as saying. 

VIDEO | NIA conducts searches at multiple locations across Tamil Nadu in connection with the 2019 murder of a former Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) functionary Ramalingam in Thanjavur district. pic.twitter.com/GxzJyb51qz

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 23, 2023

The raids were also being carried out at the residence of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) leader Mubarak in Tirunelveli district, as per an IANS report. 

In August 2021, the NIA had arrested an absconding key conspirator Rahman Sadiq in the case, which was initially registered on February 6, 2019 at Thiruvidaimaruthur Police Station in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu under section 341, 294(b) and 307 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for conspiring and killing Ramalingam on February 5, 2019, as per an ANI report.  

The NIA had then said that Ramalingam was killed as he had "opposed the Dawah work of leaders of Popular Front of India (PFI) who were converting Hindus into Islam."

"The killing was aimed to create terror in the minds of a particular section of people, to create enmity between different religious communities and to avenge and teach a lesson to Ramalingam, who had removed the “taqiyah” (skull cap) worn by one of the accused persons, and applied “thiruneer" (sacred ash) on the forehead of accused Mohammed Farooq in order to portray that all religions are same,” it said. 

The case was again registered on March 7, 2019 and the investigation was taken over by NIA which had earlier filed a chargesheet against 18 accused persons on August 2, 2019.