Chennai, Sep 25 A special NIA court on Friday sentenced four active cadres of the banned outfit Popular Front of India to life imprisonment for the murder of a Hindu Munnani leader in Coimbatore in 2016.
The verdict marks NIA’s first conviction involving PFI operatives since the government of India banned the organisation in 2022.
The convicted individuals – Sadam Hussain, Subair, Mubarak and Mohammad Rafiqul Hassan – have each been sentenced to life along with a fine of Rs 30,000, a statement issued by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said.
“In a significant judgment, the special court for NIA cases, Poonamallee, Chennai, today convicted and sentenced four active cadres of the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of C Sasikumar, spokesperson of Hindu Munnani, Coimbatore,” it said.
Sasikumar was hacked to death in Coimbatore on September 22, 2016. The targeted killing was executed with the clear intent to strike terror among a section of society and incite communal disruption across the region, the anti-terror probe agency said.
The incident sparked widespread violence across six Tamil Nadu districts, including Coimbatore City and Coimbatore Rural, leading to the registration of more than 300 FIRs by the state authorities.
The case was initially registered at the Thudiyalur police station in Coimbatore and was later investigated by the CB-CID, Tamil Nadu. The case was entrusted to the NIA in January 2028 on the orders of the government of India.
The investigation established that the accused persons, being active members of the PFI, entered into a criminal conspiracy and executed the targeted killing. After meticulous investigation, the NIA filed a chargesheet and two supplementary chargesheets against five accused persons.
The trial commenced in 2019, during which 75 prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses were examined.
The trial has now culminated in the conviction of four accused persons for offences under sections 302 (grievous hurt), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) of the IPC, and sections 16 (punishment for terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy) and 20 (punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The special court acquitted one co-accused, identified as Abu alias Syed Abuthagir.
“The NIA is currently reviewing the judgment and exploring all available legal avenues to challenge the acquittal in the appellate court,” the statement said.
(PTI News)
