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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted four former cadres of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) for allegedly harbouring accused in the sensational 2019 Ramalingam murder case in Tamil Nadu for nearly six years, officials said on Saturday.

The chargesheet was filed before the Special NIA Court in Chennai against K Mohideen, Mohamed Imran, Thameem Ansari and Asmath, who are accused of knowingly sheltering the assailants and conspirators involved in the murder of Ramalingam in Thanjavur district as part of what the NIA calls as a larger conspiracy aimed at creating communal disharmony and terror.

The accused have been charged with criminal conspiracy under Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and with assisting criminals in evading law enforcement under Section 249 of the BNS, along with relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the central agency said.

Ramalingam, a PMK functionary, was killed in February 2019 after PFI members allegedly got into an altercation with him when he attempted to stop them from carrying out forcible religious conversions near Pakku Vinayakam Thoppu.

The NIA said its investigation revealed that the four accused had sheltered two proclaimed offenders, Mohamed Burhanudeen and Mohamed Nabil Hassan, for nearly six years despite allegedly being aware of their role in the murder.

The agency had earlier chargesheeted 18 accused in the case, including six absconding proclaimed offenders. Four of the proclaimed offenders were subsequently arrested by the NIA.

The anti-terror agency had also arrested two other alleged harbourers, Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Imthathulla, who were chargesheeted in May 2025 and February 2026 respectively.

With the latest chargesheet, the NIA said it has further uncovered the alleged network that provided shelter to the proclaimed offenders in the Ramalingam murder case, while adding that the wider conspiracy investigation is still underway.

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