TIRUNELVELI: National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested one Shali alias Myden Ahmed Shali (51), one of the accused in the PMK functionary Ramalingam (42) murder case, from Tenkasi on Wednesday evening. The case was registered in Thiruvidaimarudhur police station in Thanjavur district in February.
A statement issued by NIA said that the accused Shali was head of the dawah team that had quarrelled with Ramalingam on the morning of February 5. He had also participated in the subsequent conspiracy meetings organised by PFI/SDPI activists, wherein it was decided to attack the PMK functionary. “The accused will be produced before NIA Special Court, Ernakulam and will be taken to Chennai on transit remand for producing before the jurisdictional Special Court,” read the statement.
“The case related to the brutal attack and murder of Ramalingam by the PFI/SDPI activists was originally registered in Thiruvidaimarudhur. The PMK functionary had confronted the PFI activists and dawah workers who had indulged in proselytizing activity at Pakku Vinayagam Thoppu in Kumbakonam. Investigation was taken over by NIA after re-registering the case on March 7 under sections of 341, 294(b), 307, 120B, 143, 147, 148 and 302 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with 149 of IPC besides section 15 read with 16, 18, 18-B, 19 and 20 of The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,” NIA further said in its statement.
Until May 10, Tamil Nadu police and NIA had arrested 10 and one accused persons respectively in the murder case. NIA also carried out searches at 20 locations including the houses of the arrested and absconding persons and offices of PFI at Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Tiruchy and Karaikal in connection with the investigation of the case.
Tenkasi police said that they had opened a history sheet against Shali in 2007 after his alleged involvement in some of the criminal activities.