The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday, February 2, 2024, launched simultaneous searches at the premises of several Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) functionaries for their alleged links with foreign-based cadres and sympathisers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a proscribed organisation.
According to sources in the Central agency, the searches were a follow up of the investigation into the Omalur arms case in Tamil Nadu. The case pertains to the seizure of arms, ammunition and other materials used for manufacturing weapons from two persons, M. Naveen Chakravarthy (25) of Kitchipalayam, a BCA graduate, and J. Sanjay Prakash (25) of Shevapet, an engineering graduate, by the Tamil Nadu police in Salem district. Investigators later arrested A. Kabilar alias Kabilan (25) who helped the duo manufacture guns at a rented house.
The NIA, which took over the case from the State police, filed a chargesheet against the three suspects, accusing them of conspiring and associating themselves with the LTTE and creating an organisation called the World Tamil Justice Court, to pursue their goals.
In the chargesheet the NIA said the accused had planned to attack people who worked in quarries, crushers, and Tasmac outlets by using illegal firearms, lethal weapons, and explosive substances. They had decided to launch the strike on May 18, 2022, to pay homage to those who died in the Sri Lankan civil war.
‘Sattai’ Duraimurugan’s residence searched
One NTK functionary whose house was searched, was YouTuber ‘Sattai’ Duraimurugan. The search took place at his residence in Shanmuga Nagar, in Tiruchi.
The NIA officials arrived at Mr. Duraimurugan’s house at around 6.30 a.m. Police sources said the NIA sleuths conducted an inquiry with his family members as Mr. Duraimurgan was reportedly not in the house. Mr. Duraimurugan runs a YouTube channel, ‘Sattai’.
The NIA officials left his house around 9 a.m., police sources said.
Searches in Coimbatore
In Coimbatore district, NIA sleuths searched the houses of M. Ranjith Kumar at R.G. Nagar near Alandurai, and of S. Murugan at Saraswathi Nagar near Kalapatti.
The searches began early in the morning and were completed by 9 a.m. Officials reportedly confiscated electronic gadgets of the two.
Ranjith Kumar was an active member of the NTK in 2020-21 and Murugan, who works in the IT sector, is a supporter of the party. It is alleged they were in touch with persons involved in the Omalur arms case, said a source.
Sources in the NIA said that the searches were based on evidence that certain NTK office-bearers were in touch with LTTE cadres or with fund-raising diaspora.
