Life Imprisonment for 4 PFI Members in 2016 Sasikumar Murder
Life Imprisonment for 4 PFI Members in 2016 Sasikumar Murder
Four PFI cadre have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2016 murder of Hindu Munnani leader C. Sasikumar in Coimbatore, marking NIA's first conviction since the PFI ban. Learn more about the verdict and its impli
A Special Court for NIA Cases in Poonamallee, Chennai, on Friday (September 25, 2026), handed down life imprisonment sentences to four members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in connection with the 2016 murder of C. Sasikumar, a spokesperson for Hindu Munnani in Coimbatore.
The convicted individuals, identified as Sadam Hussain, Subair, Mubarak, and Mohammad Rafiqul Hassan, received life sentences along with a fine of ₹30,000 each. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) highlighted this as their first conviction involving PFI operatives since the organization was officially banned by the Government of India.
C.
Sasikumar was brutally hacked to death on September 22, 2016, in Coimbatore.
The NIA's investigation concluded that this targeted killing was carried out with the clear intention of instilling terror within a segment of society and provoking communal unrest across the region.
The incident led to widespread violence in six districts, including Coimbatore City and Coimbatore Rural, resulting in over 300 First Information Reports (FIRs) filed by State authorities. Initially, the case was registered at the Thudiyalur police station in Coimbatore and later transferred to the CB-CID, Tamil Nadu.
In January 2018, the case was entrusted to the NIA by order of the Government of India. The subsequent investigation established that the accused, all active PFI members, had conspired and executed the targeted killing.
The NIA filed a chargesheet and two supplementary chargesheets against five individuals.
The trial commenced in 2019, involving the examination of 75 prosecution witnesses and two defence witnesses. The court ultimately convicted four of the accused under sections 302 (murder), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), and 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as sections 16, 18, and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. However, one co-accused, Abu alias Syed Abuthagir, was acquitted.
The NIA has stated that it is currently reviewing the judgment and exploring all legal avenues to challenge the acquittal of Abu alias Syed Abuthagir in the appellate court.
#SasikumarMurder #PFIConviction #NIAVerdict #JusticeForSasikumar
