MANGALURU: National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against 20 accused in connection with the murder of Praveen Nettaru, a BJP Yuva Morcha member, by cadres/members of Popular Front of India on July 26 last year in Bellare village of Sullia Taluk in Dakshina Kannada District.
The case was initially registered at Bellare Police Station of Dakshina Kannada District.
In a press release, NIA said as per the investigations the PFI, as part of its agenda to create terror, communal hatred and unrest in society and to establish Islamic Rule by 2047, formed secret teams called Service Teams or Killer Squads to carry out killings of its ‘perceived enemies’ and targets.
"These Service Team members were given Arms as well as attack training and training in surveillance techniques in order to identify, list out and mount surveillance on individuals/leaders belonging to certain communities and groups. They were further trained to assault/kill identified targets, on the instructions of senior PFI leaders," NIA said.
"In furtherance of conspiracy meetings by PFI members and leaders held at Bengaluru city, Sullia Town and Bellare village, the head of District Service Team Mustafa Paichar was instructed to recce, identify and target a prominent member of a particular community. As per instructions, four persons were recced and identified and among them, Praveen Nettaru, who was BJP Yuva Morcha, District Committee Member, was assaulted and killed in full public view with lethal weapons to create terror among the people at large and especially among members of a particular community," it added.
The accused persons have been charge-sheeted under various sections of 120B, 153A, 302 and 34 of IPC and sections 16, 18 and 20 of the UA (P) Act, 1967, Section 25(1)(a) of Arms Act. The persons charge-sheeted are Mahammed Shiyab, Abdul Basheer, Riyaz, Mustafa Paichar, Masud K A, Kodaje Mohammed Sherif, Abubakkar Siddik, Noufal M, Ismail Shafi K, K Mahammad Iqbal, Shaheed M, Mahammad Shafeek G, Ummar Farook M R, Abdul Kabeer C A, Muhammad Ibrahim Sha, Sainul Abid Y, Shekh Saddam Hussain, Zakiar A, N Abdul Haris, Thufail M H.
Among the Chargesheeted accused, Mustafa Paichar, Masud K A, Kodaje Mohammed Sherif, Abubakkar Siddik, Ummar Farook M R and Thufail M H are currently absconding and rewards have been declared for information leading to their arrest.