By Express News Service

COIMBATORE: As part of its investigations into the murder of Hindu Munnani leader C Sasikumar, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided the houses of four persons accused in the case, on Sunday.

The first raid, beginning at 5 am, was in the house of Syed Abuthakeer in Karumbukadai, from where the NIA officials seized two of his mobile phones and one belonging to his wife, after serving notice.

They next raided the house of S Subair, in Ukkadam, where they seized a motorcycle he had been using before being arrested, as well as a book, Islath Meethana Thakuthalinpothu (At the Time of Attack of Islam).

The officials then rushed to the houses of Saddam and Mubarak, and conducted searches for hours to verify if there a larger conspiracy behind the murder and to look for evidence to establish their links with political parties.

Newspaper clippings related to the Sasikumar murder case, a visiting card of an ambulance service run by the Popular Front of India and CDs of events organised by political parties were seized from Saddam’s house. A few challans and receipts of donations to a political party, made a decade ago, were seized from Mubarak’s house, police sources said.

National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations State president B Mohan described the raids as gross violation of procedures.

“The investigating agency must get the permission of the court concerned to raid a premise of the accused. If they cannot do so, they must send an intimation to the court about it if the raid is to be carried out immediately. But in this case, they have violated all these rules,” he said.

Mohan also alleged that the investigation of case was transferred to the NIA for political gains and in pursuance of a hidden agenda.