NIA nabs 'head of dawah' who was in an altercation with Ramalingam

Months after the murder of a 42-year-old PMK functionary in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur district, the Natitonal Investigation Agency probing the case has arrested another acused. Ramalingam was attacked by a group of unidentified men on February 5, who chopped his hands off. He succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital. The probe into the murder, allegedly carried out by a group of Muslim men who had been involved in an altercation with Ramalingam earlier that day, is being handled by the NIA.

According to a statement by the investigating agency, they nabbed Shali alias Myden Ahmed Shali, 51, from Tenkasi in Tirunelveli district. “Arrested accused Shali @ Myden Ahmed Shali was head of the dawah team that had entered into an altercation with Ramalingam on the morning of 5th February, 2019 and the accused had also participated in the subsequent conspiracy meetings conducted by PFI/ SDPI activists, wherein it was decided to attack Ramalingam,” (sic) a press release from the NIA on Wednesday said. 

A video of an altercation between Ramalingam and a group of Muslim men had gone viral which showed the former removing the skull cap worn by one of the Muslim men and putting vibhuti (holy ash) on his forehead. 

Shali who is Accused No 18 in the case will be produced before the NIA Special Court in Ernakulam and then taken to Chennai on transit remand for production before the jurisdictional NIA Special Court. The NIA has previously stated in court that the planned attack on the PMK member was an act of 'terrorism' aimed at causing communal disharmony. Eleven accused men are in custody of the NIA including Mohamed Asarudeen (A1), Mohamed Riyas (A2), Nijam Ali (A3), Sarbudeen (A4), Mohamed Rishwan (A5), Mohamed Thowfik (A6), Mohamed Parvish(A7), Thowqeeth Batch(A8), Mohamed Ibrahim(A9) and Mohamed Hassan Kuthous(A10).