NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested another absconding accused in the 2022 murder of Karnataka BJP leader Praveen Nettaru, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 25, the agency said on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Ummar Farook M R, was arrested in Kochi, Kerala, on Wednesday in a targeted operation based on credible intelligence, the NIA said.
The federal agency said Farook was the subject of a Red Corner Notice and a non-bailable warrant. It had also announced a reward of Rs 4 lakh for information leading to his arrest.
The NIA had earlier chargesheeted Farook for his alleged role in the conspiracy behind Nettaru's murder under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
According to the agency, investigations revealed that Farook attended a meeting at the office of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in Sullia town along with other accused and agreed to provide his motorcycle to a co-accused to conduct reconnaissance of potential targets in Bellare village before the killing.
He is also accused of participating in an attempt to eliminate a protected witness in the case, the NIA said.
The arrest follows the July apprehension of two other absconding accused, Abdul Nasir P and Naushad, who were arrested in Kochi and Hosur, respectively, based on intelligence received from the Andhra Pradesh Police.
Nettaru, a BJP leader from Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district, was hacked to death on July 26, 2022, after which the NIA took over the investigation. The agency has maintained that the murder was part of a larger conspiracy involving cadres of the PFI, which was banned by the Centre in 2022.
According to the NIA, two accused in the case remain absconding, and efforts to trace and arrest them are continuing.
