Chennai,  The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information on the accused in the case related to the murder of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) functionary, Ramalingam in Thanjavur.

The PMK leader was killed in 2019 and police had registered a case against 18 accused.

Twelve of the accused were arrested immediately. After the case was transferred to the NIA, the agency arrested one person, Rahman Sadiq (41), a key conspirator of the murder.

The NIA is on the lookout for the remaining five accused -- Mohammed Ali Jinnah (37), Abdul Majid (40), Shahul Hamid (30), Burhanidhin (40), Nafil Hassan (31), who have been already declared proclaimed offenders.

An NIA official said that the agency had earlier announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh and has now increased it to Rs 5 lakh.

The investigating agency has put posters of the accused across Tamil Nadu and pamphlets have been distributed throughout the state.

Ramalingam (45), a senior functionary of the PMK, was allegedly murdered by the Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) activists on February 5, 2019.

The NIA had filed charge sheet naming 18 PFI and SDPI activists for allegedly killing Ramalingam for interfering in their "religious propagation activity".

The NIA in its charge sheet also mentioned that the PFI and SDPI wanted to create terror among people and prevent further "intervention" in the "religious conversion activities" carried out by the organisations.