Key Arrest in 2019 Ramalingam Murder Case: NIA Cracks Down on Hideouts

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a man for sheltering Shahul Hameed, a key figure in the 2019 murder of PMK worker Ramalingam in Tamil Nadu. Hameed was hiding to avoid charges related to opposing forced conversions. The NIA detailed charges against 18 accused, including five absconders.

In a noteworthy breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has apprehended an individual for providing shelter to Shahul Hameed, implicated in the 2019 killing of PMK member Ramalingam. The arrest is part of an extensive investigation into the murder, which was said to oppose forced conversions in Tamil Nadu as orchestrated by members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI).

Ramalingam was brutally murdered in February 2019 in the region of Thanjavur. Subsequent NIA investigations revealed that multiple accused, including absconder Shahul Hameed, sought sanctuary at Poombarai Palace, owned by Mohammed Ali Jinnah, in Kodaikanal. The arrest followed significant intelligence efforts to uncover and raid this hidden location.

The NIA has charged 18 individuals, with a special court in Chennai facilitating the legal proceedings. Currently, the agency offers a financial reward for information leading to the capture of Hameed and other offenders who have evaded capture.

(With inputs from agencies.)