VELLORE: Four accused, including two members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), were arrested near Pallikonda on Tuesday in connection with the murder of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader Ramalingam in Thanjavur in 2019.
Sources said they were travelling from Bengaluru to Chennai and NIA and IB officials, based on a tip-off, tracked the gang. When they approached Pallinkondal toll plaza, NIA and IB teams alerted local police, who arrested them. The arrested have been identified as Abbas (30), Muhammad Imran (33), Burhanuddin (34) and Nafil Hassan (34). Burhanuddin and Hassan, hailing from Thanjavur, are the main accused. Abbas and Imran, hailing from Nemili in Ranipet, allegedly assisted in the murder.
After bringing the accused to the police station, an NIA team interrogated them. Ramalingam was hacked to death on February 5, 2019, allegedly by members of the PFI. In March 2019, NIA, which took over the probe, charge-sheeted 18 accused, six of them absconding and declared proclaimed offenders. A reward of Rs 5 lakh each had been announced for tips about them.