Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, July 23: As part of its ongoing investigation into the February 2019 murder of one Ramalingam, who had opposed the Dawah work of Popular Front of India (PFI) leaders allegedly engaged in converting Hindus to Islam, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted searches at 21 locations in nine districts of Tamil Nadu on Sunday, sources said.
“The NIA carried out these searches at the premises and hideouts of suspects linked to the banned PFI outfit based on intelligence inputs,” sources said.
The case was initially filed on February 6, 2019, at Thiruvidaimaruthur Police Station in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu under sections 341, 294(b), and 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), for planning and murdering Ramalingam on February 5, 2019. Rahman Sadiq, a key conspirator, was arrested on August 2, 2021 by NIA.
Ramalingam was allegedly assassinated because he “opposed the Dawah work of leaders of the Popular Front of India (PFI) who were converting Hindus into Islam,” the NIA had said that time.
“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.”
The case was reregistered on March 7, 2019, by NIA and they took over the investigation. The NIA initially submitted a charge sheet against 18 suspects On August 2, 2019.
Rahman Sadiq was the administrator for Dawah’s work of PFI in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district, according to the NIA after Rahman Sadiq was taken into custody.
Ramalingam’s hands were chopped at Thirubhuvanam as part of a plot by Rahman Sadiq and other accused individuals on February 5, 2019. He and the other conspirators had set up weapons, cars and hideouts for the sake of carrying out the plan.
“Rahman Sadiq was also instrumental in recruiting members for committing this terrorist act. After killing Ramalingam, accused Rahman Sadiq was hiding at various places in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh before being apprehended. A reward of Rs 5 lakh was announced by the NIA for information relating to his apprehension and he was also declared as Proclaimed Offender by the NIA Special Court,” the NIA said.
