Tamil Nadu: 5 Muslim men detained in connection with murder of Ramalingam who resisted religious conversions

The Kumbakonam Police in Tamil Nadu on Thursday arrested five people including one member belonging to Islamic militant organisation PFI in connection with the murder of activist V Ramalingam inThirubhuvanam.

According to the reports, a special team which was formed to arrest the accused in the case has now detained five people in connection with the heinous murder of 42-year old activist and PMK (Pattali Makkal Katchi) leader V Ramalingam. The arrested have been identified as S Nijam Ali, Sarbudeen, Rizwan, Mohamed Azarudeen and Mohamed Raiyaz.

The brutal incident had occurred on Tuesday night after 42-year-old Ramalingam was assaulted in Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district on his way back home by a group of unidentified people and his hands were chopped off.  Reportedly, he was brutally murdered by a group of people belonging to a Muslim community for opposing religious conversion.

On February 5th, it was reported that Ramalingam noticed a group of men said to be belonging to the radical Islamic organisation Popular Front of India (PFI), proselytising in a Dalit dominated neighbourhood. He confronted the men opposing the same, and the preachers retaliated, which started an altercation. Later the issue was sorted by some Muslim clerics.

Later in the day, on his way back home in his minivan, a four-member gang came out of the car and attacked Ramalingam’s hands with sharp weapons before fleeing. Ramalingam who was seriously injured was rushed to the Kumbakonam government hospital and later to Thanjavur Medical College Hospital where he was declared brought dead.

OpIndia Staff: Staff reporter at OpIndia