The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against four former cadres of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) for allegedly harbouring proclaimed offenders involved in the brutal murder of Ramalingam in Thirubhuvanam, Tamil Nadu.
The chargesheet, submitted before the Special NIA Court at Poonamallee in Chennai, names K. Mohideen, Mohamed Imran, Thameem Ansari, and Asmath.
The four have been accused of knowingly sheltering the assailants and conspirators behind the fatal attack on Ramalingam, which the agency describes as part of a larger conspiracy to create communal disharmony and terror.
The accused have been charged under Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 249 of the BNS read with Section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Ramalingam was killed on February 5, 2019, after he confronted a group of PFI members who were allegedly attempting forcible religious conversions near Pakku Vinayakam Thoppu in Thirubhuvanam.
According to the NIA, the assailants got into a violent altercation with him following the intervention.This is the latest development in the high-profile case. The NIA had earlier filed a chargesheet against 18 accused, including six absconding proclaimed offenders (POs). Investigations into the case are continuing, the agency said.
The Popular Front of India was banned by the Union Home Ministry in September 2022 for its alleged links to terror activities and radicalisation. The Ramalingam murder probe forms part of the NIA’s broader crackdown on PFI networks across southern states.
The development comes as the agency intensifies efforts to track down the remaining absconders and uncover the full extent of the conspiracy behind the 2019 killing. Court proceedings in the matter are expected to commence soon at the Special NIA Court in Poonamallee.
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