The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday 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 statewide raids in the Ramalingam murder PFI conspiracy case were conducted at the residential premises of several functionaries of the Popular Front of India (PFI), including Nellai Mubarak, who is also the State President of the SDPI, the NIA said in a statement.
Others whose houses were searched included absconding accused Mohammed Ali Jinna, Abdul Majith, Bhurkhanudeen, Shahul Hameed and Nafeel Hassan.
NIA has announced a reward of Rs 5 lakhs each to anyone providing information leading to the arrest of any of the five proclaimed absconders. The prosecution of others already arrested in the case is currently underway.
Earlier, the NIA had filed a chargesheet against 18 accused persons, including the five absconding accused persons, on August 2, 2019 before the NIA Special Court, Chennai.
The NIA Special Court, Chennai, had declared these five absconding accused persons as Proclaimed Offenders.
The Sunday raids in 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, the agency said.
"Ramalingam was brutally murdered on February 5, 2019 in Paku Vinayakam Thoppu, Thanjavur by members and office bearers of the PFI, which had conspired the assassination," the NIA said.
The agency further said, "The accused persons had avenged Ramalingam by killing him in an extremely violent jihadi manner as he objected to the forcible conversion of underprivileged persons by Dawah Team / Proselytization team dispatched from Arivagam, Theni (now attached as proceeds of terrorism under section 25 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967)."
According to NIA investigations, the violence was instigated to instil fear among the opponents of the outfit, declared as an 'unlawful association' under UA (P) A by the Centre on September 28, 2022, and to drive a wedge between the communities by inciting communal hatred and violence, it added.