The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today conducted raids at the office of Popular Front of India (PFI) in Palakarai, Tiruchirappalli in connection to the murder of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) member Ramalingam in the month of February 6, 2019.

Tamil Nadu: Visuals of National Investigation Agency (NIA) raid at the office of Popular Front of India in Palakarai, Tiruchirappalli. NIA is conducting investigation in PMK member Ramalingam murder case. (He was murdered in Thanjavur district on Feb 6) pic.twitter.com/wvNURSTaWO — ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2019

42-year old Ramalingam was found brutally murdered with his hands chopped off by a group of people belonging to the minority community for opposing religious conversions. He has been protesting against the religious conversion of Hindus which possibly irked some radical religious outfit.

The police had arrested five people including a member of the Islamic radical organisation PFI in relation to the murder earlier. The arrestees were identified as S Nijam Ali, Sarbudeen, Rizwan, Mohamed Azarudeen and Mohamed Raiyaz. Eleven accused have been arrested so far out of which eight are from the PFI.

PFI which is active in the States like Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka, Assam, West Bengal, and Bihar. It was banned by the Jharkhand government in February this year under section 16 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act for allegedly indulging in anti-national activities in the State and having links with terror groups like the ISIS. The government had also urged the other States to take similar action. It was alleged by BJP leader Vinay Singh that the organisation was also involved in PM Modi’s assassination plot.

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The organisation was also actively involved in Hadiya’s case. It had claimed to have spent Rs 1 crore in pursuing the case in Supreme Court.