Chennai: Officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) today carried out raids at seven places in Tamilnadu, including three in the city. According to sources, the searches were conducted by NIA officers investigating the conspiracy to kill Hindu leaders and threats to their outfits.
The raids took place simultaneously at Otteri, Vyasarpadi and Pallavaram in Chennai. Searches were also conducted in Tindivanam and Coimbatore.
Today’s operation, sources said, was in connection with a seven-member gang arrested by NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for conspiring to kill two Hindu leaders – Hindu Makkal Katchi founder-president Arjun Sampath and Sakthi Sena Organisation leader Anbu Mani.
According to the police, at 7 am today, a five-member team of NIA carried out a raid in the residence of S Shamsudeen (20), at Parasurama Street, Pallavaram. His parents live in the house and the search lasted until 8.30 am. However, officials did not disclose if they seized anything from the house.
Simultaneously, another team of NIA raided the house of S Salavudeen (25) at Dargha Cross Street at Otteri from 6.45 to 8.20 am. Sources said the NIA took two mobile phones, a DVD, a bank pass book and a copy of the Quran.
The house of another accused, I Jaffer Saqid Ali (29) at Pudu Nagar, MKB Nagar, was searched for two hours by a separate team.
Local police escorted the NIA at all three locations. 
On 2 September, these Muslim youths were arrested along with two others, identified as R Ashik (25) of Coimbatore and S Ismail (25) of Tindivanam in Villupuram district.
Based on their confessions, the police arrested Faizal Rahman of GM Nagar, who worked as an auto driver, and Sahul Hameed alias Anwar (23), from Coimbatore. The men are currently lodged at Coimbatore Central Prison.
Recently, Arjun Sampath appeared before the NIA at Race Course, Coimbatore, and gave a detailed account of the threats he got over phone and submitted evidence.
This morning, NIA also carried out raids in Coimbatore and Tindivanam. The residence of Ashik at Variety Hall Road and Faizal at GM Nagar in Coimbatore were raided.
Sahul’s house in Kuniyamuthur and Ismail’s place at Tindivanam were searched.
It is alleged that Ismail of Tindivanam was a secret member of ISIS who passed on information to others through a social media website.
The men, police found, did not know each other personally but communicated through social media.