NIA arrests final offender, accomplice in 2019 Ramalingam killing

New Delhi, Dec 16 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has nabbed the last of the six absconding proclaimed offenders (POs) and also arrested one more harbourer in the Ramalingam murder case, the agency said on Tuesday.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah of Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu was declared a PO and also carried a reward of Rs. 5 lakh for his arrest since Ramalingam was hacked to death in Thanjavur (TN) on February 5 2019, allegedly by members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI).

"NIA 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 said in its press note.

The agency, which caught Jinnah on the basis of information received from the ATS unit of the Tamil Nadu police on Tuesday, also arrested Asmath, who had harboured the POs in the case for the past several years.

Just five days ago, NIA had arrested two more absconding POs and three other harbourers in the case RC-06/2019/NIA/DLI.

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.

Earlier in August, the NIA searched nine locations in Tamil Nadu and arrested Imthathullah, proprietor of Ambur Biryani Hotels in Kodaikanal, from Dindigul district.

During the searches, NIA arrested Imthathullah for knowingly and voluntarily harbouring absconding POs in his hotel outlets from 2021 onwards.

“Incriminating documents and digital devices, etc, were also seized during the searches conducted in Dindugal and Tenkasi districts,” the agency had said back then.

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