The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday detained two accused persons who were absconded in the 2019 Tamil Nadu Ramalingam murder case related to the barred Popular Front of India (PFI).
The nabbed accused have been recognised as Abdul Majeeth and Shahul Hameed, both belonging to the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. NIA probes have disclosed the two to be engaged in the murder and members of PFI.
Both had a cohort with other alleged persons near the Periyapalli mosque in Thirubhuvanam on 5th February 2019 to slice the hands of Ramalingam with the aim to create terror among the people and dispense communal hatred.
NIA, which took up the investigation from the Tamil Nadu police in March 2019, had registered 18 accused before the NIA Special Court, Chennai, in the case RC-06/2019/NIA/DLI in August 2019.
Six of the 18 charged accused were on the run, and a reward of Rs. 5 lakh each had been declared for information about them. The absconders were also announced proclaimed offenders (POs) by the NIA Special Court.
In 2021, NIA had held one of the six absconders, named Rahman Sadiq. In November 2024, the agency had located Abdul Majeeth and Shahul Hameed in the Poombarai area of Kodaikanal, Dindigul district, and caught one harbourer, Mohammed Ali Jinah, who was the 19th accused in the case. Jinah was later detained in judicial custody.
Abdul and Shahul, however, were then able to flee and were finally caught on Saturday by the NIA, which continues to investigate the case and search for the remaining accused.
