The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Imthatullah, a biryani vendor from Kodaikanal, for allegedly sheltering the killers of PMK lawyer and executive Ramalingam, who was brutally murdered in Thanjavur’s Thiruphuvanam in 2019 for resisting conversion attempts by Islamists.
Ramalingam’s murder, linked to religious extremism, is being probed by the NIA. Out of the 18 accused, 10 have so far been arrested, while 5 remain absconding. Earlier, the agency had arrested Mohammed Ali from Poombarai, who was also connected to the case.
In recent weeks, NIA teams carried out simultaneous raids across Tamil Nadu — including 8 locations in Dindigul and 5 in Kodaikanal. A three-hour search was also conducted at the Tenkasi home of Mohammed Ali, a former Popular Front of India (PFI) member now working abroad.
During these operations, NIA arrested Imthatullah, who allegedly provided shelter to key conspirators in the Ramalingam murder case, marking a significant breakthrough in the investigation.
(With inputs from News 18 Tamil Nadu)
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