Coimbatore : NIA sleuths on Wednesday carried out searches in houses at four places in the Coimbatore, based on reports that seven persons who were arrested three months ago had planned to assa some leaders belonging to Hindu outfits.

The city police had arrested five persons–four from Chennai- from the city railway station on September two on suspicion that they had come with a plot to kill Arjun Sampath, president of Hindu Makkal Katchi. Later two more persons were arrested for allegedly giving the shelter and transport.

It was said that these persons did not have previous enmity with Sampath, they were said to be inspired by the IS module and other outfits and hatched a plot to kill him, police had claimed then.

As they were booked under various sections including 143 and 120 B (conspiracy) and also to incite communal clash, the case was handed over to NIA and some officials reached the city this morning and carried out search in the houses of Faisal in Ukkadam, Ashiq in Chandran Street and Anwar of Kuniamuthur, police said.