Tamil Nadu

Prime suspect in assassination plot has Maoist links: police

MADURAI: Taufique, one of the prime suspects in the alleged conspiracy to eliminate Hindu Munnani leader Ramagopalan, had links with Maoists in the State, according to police sources.

He, along with his close associate Abu Dahir, escaped hours before the Chennai police raided hideouts in the Mannadi locality and apprehended three persons early on Thursday.

Highly placed police sources claimed that Taufique, founder of ‘Iraivan Oruvane’ (God is One), was in constant touch with top Maoist functionaries. He planned to induct Muslim youth from Madurai, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli and Virudhunagar for joint training programmes in Maoist camps.

A former member of the Muslim Defence Force, Taufique was taken into preventive custody during the recent visit of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to Tamil Nadu. “He was sympathetic towards the Maoist ideology … his supporters came to the adverse notice of intelligence agencies on many occasions. Taufique masterminded the murder of a Muslim woman who allegedly had illicit relationships in Cuddalore a few months ago,” a police official said.

Interrogation of Heera alias Syed Bahsa, Commander of ‘Iraivan Oruvane’ in the southern districts, has thrown more light on the plans of the suspects. Besides a police officer, they planned to eliminate an advocate and district secretary of the Hindu organisation.

He confessed to having been in possession of improvised explosive devices. Searches were being conducted in suspected hideouts in different parts of the State, said the sources.

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