The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a key accused in the murder of Karnataka BJP Yuva Morcha member Praveen Nettaru allegedly by members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in 2022.
Ateeq Ahmed is the 21st accused to be arrested in the case, the NIA said on Tuesday.
According to the anti-terror agency, Ateeq had, under the PFI leadership’s guidance, harboured and assisted Mustafa Paichar, identified as the chief conspirator in the case.
Mustafa had planned and executed the murder, carried out as part of the PFI agenda to trigger fear and communal unrest among the people, it said.
After the attack, Mustafa had absconded and Ateeq had facilitated his movement, including transporting him to Chennai. He had helped Mustafa evade law enforcement till the latter’s arrest in May last year.
The NIA, which had taken over the case from the Karnataka Police in August 2022, had found out that the PFI had formed secret teams, referred to as “PFI Service Teams” and trained in arms and surveillance, to carry out targeted killings such as that of Nettaru.
The agency is continuing with its investigation to trace the remaining six accused, against whom rewards have been announced.
On July 26, 2022, Nettaru was hacked to death by two bike-borne attackers allegedly from the PFI in Bellare village in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district. The outfit was banned in September later that year.