NIA arrests last proclaimed offender in 2019 Ramalingam murder case

The NIA has arrested Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the last of six proclaimed offenders in the 2019 Ramalingam murder case. Jinnah, a former PFI leader, carried a Rs 5 lakh reward. A harbourer was also arrested, bringing all six absconders into custody.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday said it has nabbed the last of the six absconding proclaimed offenders and also arrested one more harbourer in the 2019 Ramalingam murder case.

Final Absconder Nabbed

Mohammed Ali Jinnah of Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu was declared a proclaimed offender and also carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh for his arrest since Ramalingam was hacked to death in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur on February 5, 2019, allegedly by members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). In a statement, the NIA said its investigations have revealed the role of Jinnah, a former district president of PFI, Thanjavur district, in conspiring, supervising and coordinating with other accused in the brutal killing.

The agency, which caught Jinnah on the basis of information received from the Anti-Terrorist Squad unit of the Tamil Nadu police on Tuesday, also arrested Asmath, who had harboured the proclaimed offenders in the case for the past several years.

Recent Breakthroughs in Case

Just five days ago, NIA had arrested two more absconding proclaimed offenders and three other harbourers in the case (RC-06/2019/NIA/DLI.) The proclaimed offenders-- identified as Mohamed Burhanudeen and Mohamed Nabil Hasan-- both residents of Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu, were on the run for nearly seven years since the killing of Ramalingam. They were caught from Pallikonda in the Vellore district of Tamil Nadu on the basis of inputs received by the NIA from sister agencies.

Members of PFI, Thanjavur district, the "duo had conspired and coordinated with several others to murder Ramalingam by chopping his hands."

To date, all six of the accused, subsequently declared proclaimed offenders, have been arrested, and a reward of Rs 5 lakh each was announced for their arrest.

Earlier this month, the NIA also arrested three more harbourers involved in the case. Hailing from the Chennai district, K Mohideen, Mohamed Imran and Thameem Ansari were found to have facilitated the concealment and movement of the absconders after the murder.

Investigation Continues

The agency, which had taken over the probe from Thiruvidaimaruthur Police on March 7, 2019 and filed the chargesheet in August 2019, is continuing to investigate the conspiracy behind the murder.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)