A special court for NIA cases in Poonamallee on Friday sentenced four cadres of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) - Saddam Hussain, Subair, Mubarak and Mohammad Rafiqul Hassan to life imprisonment for the murder of Hindu Munnani spokesman C Sasikumar in Coimbatore in 2016.
Coimbatore: Four men have been sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the 2016 murder of Hindu Munnani spokesperson Sasikumar in Coimbatore.
The verdict was delivered by a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Poonamallee on September 25, 2026.
The four convicts, identified as members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), are Saddam Hussain, Subair, Mubarak and Mohammad Rafiqul Hassan. Each was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs 30,000.
The court convicted them under sections 302 (murder), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 153-A (promoting enmity between groups) of the IPC and sections 16, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The court, however, acquitted one of the accused, Abu alias Syed Abuthagir.
Sasikumar, 37, a resident of Subramaniyampalayam near Thudiyalur in Coimbatore, served as a district-level spokesperson for Hindu Munnani. On the night of September 22, 2016, he was returning home on his motorcycle when unidentified assailants intercepted him and hacked him to death.
The murder triggered widespread tension and violent incidents in Coimbatore and surrounding districts.
The case was initially registered at Thudiyalur Police Station in Coimbatore and was subsequently investigated by the CB-CID of Tamil Nadu.
The Centre transferred the case to the NIA through an order dated January 22, 2018. The agency subsequently re-registered the case and took over the investigation.
The NIA filed a chargesheet followed by two supplementary chargesheets against five accused persons. According to the agency, its investigation established that the accused were active members of the PFI and had entered into a criminal conspiracy to carry out the killing.
The agency stated that the murder was planned to create communal unrest.
Meanwhile, more than 750 police personnel, including law-and-order police and armed reserve personnel, were deployed across Coimbatore ahead of the verdict to prevent any law-and-order disturbances.
Security was intensified at 10 sensitive locations across the city, including Sivananda Colony, Thudiyalur and Subramaniyampalayam, where additional police personnel were stationed and patrols were stepped up.
The verdict was delivered by a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Poonamallee on September 25, 2026.
The four convicts, identified as members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), are Saddam Hussain, Subair, Mubarak and Mohammad Rafiqul Hassan. Each was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Rs 30,000.
The court convicted them under sections 302 (murder), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 153-A (promoting enmity between groups) of the IPC and sections 16, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The court, however, acquitted one of the accused, Abu alias Syed Abuthagir.
Sasikumar, 37, a resident of Subramaniyampalayam near Thudiyalur in Coimbatore, served as a district-level spokesperson for Hindu Munnani. On the night of September 22, 2016, he was returning home on his motorcycle when unidentified assailants intercepted him and hacked him to death.
The murder triggered widespread tension and violent incidents in Coimbatore and surrounding districts.
The case was initially registered at Thudiyalur Police Station in Coimbatore and was subsequently investigated by the CB-CID of Tamil Nadu.
The Centre transferred the case to the NIA through an order dated January 22, 2018. The agency subsequently re-registered the case and took over the investigation.
The NIA filed a chargesheet followed by two supplementary chargesheets against five accused persons. According to the agency, its investigation established that the accused were active members of the PFI and had entered into a criminal conspiracy to carry out the killing.
The agency stated that the murder was planned to create communal unrest.
Meanwhile, more than 750 police personnel, including law-and-order police and armed reserve personnel, were deployed across Coimbatore ahead of the verdict to prevent any law-and-order disturbances.
Security was intensified at 10 sensitive locations across the city, including Sivananda Colony, Thudiyalur and Subramaniyampalayam, where additional police personnel were stationed and patrols were stepped up.