SSI murder case: One more suspect detained under UAPA

Syed Ali, a software techie, who has been absconding after the murder of the SSI, was arrested by a special police squad at Palayam in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday and was brought to Nesamony Nagar Police Station in Nagercoil for interrogation on Monday.

After being grilled by senior police officials, he was then taken to Tenkasi police station in Tirunelveli district for further interrogation.

The investigations revealed that Syed Ali have very close links with A Abdul Shameem (32) and M Thoufique (28), who gunned down the SSI at the Padanthalumoodu check post at the Tamil Nadu-Kerala inter-State border check post here on January 8.

He reportedly played a key role in creating a stealth app for his associates to bypass the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is now probing the murder case and also helped the assailants to get accommodation before the murder. Syed Ali was booked under the provisions of UAPA.

He was the 8th person to be booked under the UAPA in connection with the murder of the SSI. Earlier, the police invoked UAPA against the prime accused Abdul Shameem and Thoufique, besides their associates S Mohamed Zackariah (37), Al Habeeb (31), A Abdul Khader (31), M Mohamed Ismail alias Meshak and M Syed Khaja Kareem Nawaz, all hailing from different localities in Tirunelveli district. Abdul Shameem and Thoufique confessed that they have murdered the SSI to take revenge for the arrest of C Khaja Moideen, an ISIS operative by the Delhi police in early January.