The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the 2019 murder of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) functionary Ramalingam, arrested 35-year-old Imtathullah from Dindigul district for allegedly sheltering key suspects in the case in August 2025. During interrogation, Imtathullah is said to have made a detailed confession linking himself to the Popular Front of India (PFI) and to individuals accused of conspiring in the Thirubhuvanam murder.
According to NIA sources, Imtathullah told investigators that he and several others were members of the banned organisation Popular Front of India. He reportedly said the group had been engaged in religious conversion activities in districts such as Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai. During one such outreach in Thirubhuvanam, Ramalingam had confronted them and, according to the statement, “scolded them harshly,” which allegedly provoked members of the group.
Based on his account, around 18 people are believed to have conspired to murder Ramalingam as retaliation for the confrontation. The conspiracy, Imtathullah told investigators, was allegedly planned at a religious training and research centre called Arivagam, located in Muthudevanpatti in Theni district. The facility, he said, had been functioning as a meeting point for those involved.
He further stated that after Ramalingam’s murder, the conspirators dispersed and went into hiding. Imtathullah also told NIA officials that he was aware of the agency’s earlier announcement offering a reward of ₹5 lakh each for information about five absconding accused in the case.
In his statement, Imtathullah said he was running a restaurant named Ambur Biryani in Kodaikanal, Dindigul district, where he had constructed a hidden room. He admitted that he had used this concealed space to provide shelter to three of the most wanted suspects – Sahul Hameed, Nabil Hassan, and Abdul Majeed, all natives of Thanjavur district and declared fugitives by the NIA.
He reportedly added that he arranged accommodation for them in a place called Poomparai in Kodaikanal and gave them financial support during their stay. The NIA believes this assistance helped the accused evade arrest for a considerable period.
Investigators said the accused has been remanded to five days’ custody for further questioning. The agency is now verifying his claims regarding the role of the Arivagam centre in Theni district and examining financial records connected to his restaurant operations in Kodaikanal.
The NIA took over the probe into the Ramalingam murder case from Tamil Nadu police in 2019, after preliminary investigations indicated possible extremist involvement. Ramalingam, a PMK functionary, was attacked and fatally injured near Thirubhuvanam on 5 February 2019, following a reported altercation with a group engaged in proselytisation activities.
திருப்புவனம் இராமலிங்கம் கொலை வழக்கில் கைதானவரின் வாக்குமூலம்..
மக்களே! உங்க கருத்து என்ன??#thiruppuvanam #Ramalingam #CommentsPlease #HinduMunnani pic.twitter.com/sEGVrJEI3F
— Hindu Munnani (@hindumunnani_tn) October 13, 2025
Officials said Imdadullah’s testimony, if corroborated, could help identify the network that provided logistical support to the main accused after the murder. Searches are expected to continue in Dindigul, Thanjavur, and Theni districts in the coming days as the agency traces other potential shelters and financiers linked to the absconding suspects.
(Source: Seithipunal)
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