COIMBATORE: National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed the first charge sheet against the two accused — S Subair and B Sadham Hussain — in connection with the Hindu Munnani functionary C Sasikumar murder case in over 5,000 pages. It submitted a list of 220 witnesses and 100 material evidence to substantiate their role in the murder and their links with the Popular Front of India. The charge sheet was submitted to the Special Court for NIA cases in Chennai on Saturday.
The NIA took up the Hindu Munnani functionary C Sasikumar murder case on February 22 and investigated over 500 people in 40 days. In the inquiry, based on the statements from people, it chargesheeted about 220 witnesses against Subair and Sadham Hussain, while the investigation on the part of two other accused Abuthagir and Mohammed Mubarak was still underway, sources privy to the case told Express. “The 100 material evidence submitted before Special Court is to establish their role in murder as well as their links with Popular Front of India. The witness also confirms their links and membership with PFI,” sources added.
Not wanting to reveal much, Special Public Prosecutor CSS Pillai told Express that the accused also have links with another Islamic outfits apart from PFI. “The charge sheet clearly contains the evidence of their links with PFI and their conspiracy to kill Sasikumar. They have also participated in the Unity March of PFI, which is also recorded in the charge sheet,” he said.
Sources privy to the NIA investigation said that the agency also planned to include a few more persons in the Sasikumar murder case apart from the four accused -- Mubarak, Sadham, Subair and Syed Abuthagir.
According to the NIA, during the searches at the houses of four accused persons on March 18, they recovered PFI donation receipts, PFI literature, PFI unity march CDs, mobile phones, pen drives, DVD of Zakir Naik of Islamic Research Foundation and other incriminating documents relating to PFI. “Investigations established that Sadham, Subair and other accused persons, all active members of PFI, conspired and killed Sasikumar to strike teror among a section of people including members of Hindu organisations,” a release from NIA read.However, Defence counsel lawyers viewed it as a botched charge sheet as NIA framed the charges for only two accused of the four, citing that the investigation on the other two was underway.
‘Being threatened to accept role in murder’
On Saturday, when the NIA filed the charge sheet, all four accused appeared. Subair and Mubarak, who are still in Salem Prison under judicial custody, submitted a petition before judge Senthurapandian alleging that NIA SP Kumar and Inspector Sivadhanu were visiting the prison often and threatening them to accept their role in Sasikumar’s murder case