NIA arrests key conspirator of Ramalingam murder case

New Delhi [India], August 3 (ANI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested the key absconding conspirator in the Ramalingam murder case which took place in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu in 2019.
Rahman Sadiq, 41, was arrested on Monday on charges of planning the murder of Ramalingam on February 5, 2019, who had opposed the Dawah work of leaders of the Popular Front of India (PFI) who were allegedly converting Hindus into Islam.
The anti-terror agency arrested the accused from Tamil Nadu on various charges under the Indian Penal Code.
After killing Ramalingam, the NIA said, Sadiq was hiding at various places in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh for the last two years before being apprehended on Monday.
A reward of Rs 5 lakh was announced by the NIA for information relating to the apprehension of Sadiq and he was also declared as proclaimed offender by the NIA special court.
The NIA said that the killing was aimed to create terror in the minds of a particular section of people, to create enmity between different religious communities and to avenge and teach a lesson to Ramalingam (now deceased), who had removed the "taqiyah"(skull cap) worn by one of the accused persons, and applied "thereunder (sacred ash)" on the forehead of accused Mohammed Farooq in order to portray that all religions are same.
The case was initially registered on February 6, 2019, at Thiruvidaimaruthur Police Station in Tamil Nadu.
The NIA had re-registered the case on March 7, 2019, and taken over the investigation. The central agency had earlier filed a charge sheet against 18 accused persons on August 2, 2019.
"Investigation has revealed that Rahman Sadiq was the administrator of Dawah work of PFI. He along with other accused persons had conspired in Thirubhuvanam on February 5, 2019, against Ramalingam by chopping his hands," it said.
"He along with other co-conspirators had arranged weapons, vehicles and hideouts for executing the plan," said the NIA.
Sadiq was also instrumental in recruiting members for committing this terrorist act, it said. (ANI)