Ramalingam murder case: NIA arrests proclaimed offender M Mohammed Ali Jinnah

CHENNAI: National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths have arrested a proclaimed offender, M Mohammed Ali Jinnah, in the 2019 Ramalingam murder case in Tamil Nadu.

The charge against Jinnah is that he gave shelter to Shahul Hameed in his cottage in Kodaikanal, knowing well that the latter was wanted in the case.

"Shahul stayed in the cottage for a considerable period of time before the NIA searched the property based on information. The NIA seized material evidence against Jinnah in the case during the searches," said NIA in a statement. Shahul Hameed is still at large.

The case relates to the brutal murder of Ramalingam, who was hacked to death in Paku Vinayakam Thoppu in Thanjavur district on Feb 5, 2019 by members and office-bearers of the Popular Front of India (PFI).

The NIA has chargesheeted 18 accused, including five absconders, before the NIA special court in Chennai. The other proclaimed offenders still absconding in the case are Abdul Majith, Bhurkanudeen and Nafeel Hasan.

The NIA has announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh each for information leading to their arrest.

The NIA said the proscribed outfit PFI had conspired to kill Ramalingam for intervening in the dawah work/proselytization carried out by a PFI dawah team, which came from Arivagam in Theni, to forcibly convert underprivileged people in Paku Vinayakam Thoppu. Investigations established that the violence was unleashed to strike terror among the opponents of the PFI.


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