The National Investigation Agency (NIA) apprehended two crucial absconders linked to the targeted assassination of local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Praveen Nettaru by members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in Karnataka in 2022. Abdul Nasir and Naushad were captured in Kochi (Kerala) and Hosur (Tamil Nadu) respectively on Saturday, following a well-coordinated operation spanning both states based on credible intelligence from the Andhra Pradesh Police. These arrests bring the total number of detained suspects in the case to 24, while three accused individuals remain at large, according to the NIA.
The NIA had previously filed charges against Abdul Nasir and Naushad in the Praveen Nettaru murder case, citing various sections of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for knowingly sheltering the primary assailants responsible for Nettaru’s murder. Nettaru, a District Executive Committee member of BJP Yuva Morcha in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district, was brutally killed. The NIA Special Court in Bengaluru had issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) and an open-dated arrest warrant against the charged individuals. Additionally, a reward of Rs 4 lakh each was announced by the NIA for any information leading to their apprehension.
A senior NIA official affirmed that the agency is actively pursuing the remaining absconders. The investigation into Nettaru’s murder, which occurred amidst the ‘hijab’ controversy, revealed a premeditated attack orchestrated by clandestine “killer squads” associated with the banned PFI. The objective behind the murder was to instigate communal fear, provoke unrest, and target specific group members. The incident, which took place in Bellare near Sullia in the Dakshina Kannada district, sparked retaliatory killings and a series of stabbing incidents across the state.
