7 fundamentalists from TN on NIA’s wanted list

The persons whom the NIA sleuths are hunting for include Haja Fakruddin, said to be the first Islamic State operative from the country who had gone to Syria about six years ago to fight for the caliphate. The Interpol, too, is on the look for Fakruddin, while the other six carry reward on information about them.

It was the NIA that booked Haja Fakruddin from Parangipettai in Cuddalore, who was working in Singapore when he became attracted to IS and went to Syria. After suspecting that the State government was hesitating to take action again IS sympathisers, the national agency registered an FIR in 2017 covering IS-linked activities in Tamil Nadu between 2013 and 2016.

The other six men on the wanted list are M Rahman Sadiq (39), Mohammad Ali Jinnah (34), Abdul Majith (37), Bhurkhanudeen (28), Shahul Hameed (27) and Nafeel Hassan (28), all hailing from Thanjavur. They are linked to the murder of V Ramalingam, a PMK functionary, at Kumbakonam in February 2019.

The NIA had taken over the case from the Tamil Nadu Police more than a year ago. Its investigation reportedly revealed that the accused hatched a plot and murdered Ramalingam after he had an altercation with the Dawah team allegedly linked to the Popular Front of India (PFI) at Pakku Vinayagam Thopu village on February 5.

Of the six absconding men, Abdul Majid, Bhurkhanudeen and Shahul Hameed are accused of attacking and killing Ramalingam. Rahman Sadiq, Mohamed Ali Jinah and Nafeel Hasan, believed to be members of PFI, were allegedly part of the team that plotted the killing, the agency claimed.

Last December, the NIA had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh each for any information that would help them arrest the wanted suspects. As it looks like there is no lead so far despite the reward on offer, the agency may seek Interpol help to track them, too.