Tamil Nadu: NIA arrests man for sheltering PFI fugitives in Ramalingam murder case

Ramalingam, a Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) functionary, was hacked to death in Kumbakonam in February 2019 after an altercation with PFI activists

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday carried out searches at nine locations across Tamil Nadu and arrested one man accused of sheltering fugitives in connection with the 2019 murder of Ramalingam, a case linked to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), officials said on Thursday.

The PFI was banned by the Centre in September 2022. (NIA file photo)

The accused, identified as Imthathullah, proprietor of Ambur Biryani Hotels in Kodaikanal, was arrested from Dindigul district.

According to the agency, he had been knowingly providing shelter to three proclaimed offenders (POs) at his hotel outlets since 2021. During the operation, NIA teams also seized incriminating documents and digital devices from multiple sites in Dindigul and Tenkasi districts.

The three fugitives harboured by him include Abdul Majeed and Shahul Hameed, both of whom were arrested by the NIA earlier this year on January 25. The third, identified as Mohammed Ali Jinna, remains on the run.

The Ramalingam murder was taken over by the NIA from the Tamil Nadu police in March 2019.

Ramalingam, a Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) functionary, was hacked to death in Kumbakonam in February 2019 after an altercation with PFI activists.

The agency filed a chargesheet in August 2019 against 18 accused before a special NIA court in Poonamallee, Chennai. Of them, six had been declared absconders. One of the absconders, Rahman Sadiq, was arrested in 2021, while Abdul Majeed and Shahul were traced to Poombarai in Kodaikanal last year. In November 2024, the NIA also arrested another harbourer, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, who was named as the 19th accused in the case.

With the latest arrest, the NIA said it continues its pursuit of the remaining fugitives.

A cash reward of ₹5 lakh each has been announced for information leading to the arrest of Jinna, as well as Burhanudeen and Nafeel Hasan, all hailing from Thanjavur district and formerly office bearers of the PFI.

The PFI, which was banned by the Centre in September 2022 for its alleged involvement in terror activities, has been accused by the NIA of running radicalisation campaigns and financing violent acts in several states, including Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

It may be noted that Ramalingam, 42, was a functionary of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) in Thanjavur district. On February 5, 2019, he had objected to PFI activists distributing religious propaganda in a Hindu-majority village. Hours later, he was waylaid and brutally attacked by a group of men, leading to his death.