The National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the murder of Pattali Makkal Katchi functionary Ramalingam of Tirubuvanam near Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district in February, has taken into custody the 11 accused arrested in connection with the killing.

The NIA filed a petition in a Special Court at Poonamalee in Chennai on Monday seeking custody of the accused. Police sources said the court allowed the NIA custody of the accused till June 3. The accused were brought to Thanjavur amid heavy police escort on Monday night.

The 11 accused include Mohamed Riaz, Mohamed Hassan Kuthoos, Mohamed Farooq, Mohamed Rizwan, Mohamed Taufiq, Mohamed Ibrahim, Tauhid Basha and Nizam Ali. The case was initially investigated by Thiruvidaimarudur police.

As part of its investigation, NIA split into teams and conducted simultaneous searches at the offices of the Popular Front of India in Tiruchi, Thanjavur and Karaikal and seized hard discs, memory cards, CDs and DVDs, besides mobile phones, early this month.