NIA raids nine places in Tamil Nadu in Ramalingam murder case

CHENNAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted searches at nine places in Tamil Nadu in connection with the Ramalingam murder case. The raids are still underway at eight places in Dindigul and one in Tenkasi district based on inputs against some suspects, officials said.

The case was originally registered by the local police after members of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) had hacked Ramalingam to death in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu in February 2019 after he opposed their forcible religious conversion efforts.

In May this year, the NIA chargesheeted one accused, namely Mohammed Ali Jinnah, for harbouring the proclaimed offenders in the Ramalingam murder case for six years. NIA, which took over the case in March 2019, had in August 2019 chargesheeted 18 accused, of whom six were absconding and had been declared Proclaimed Offenders (POs).

The agency found during the investigation that Mohammed Ali Jinnah had harboured them all in a cottage. Jinnah was arrested in November 2024, while three of the absconding POs were arrested on different occasions between 2021 and January 2025.

A search is on for the remaining three absconders, who are carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each for information leading to their arrest.