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Last Updated: March 19, 2024, 15:24 IST
A total of 71 persons have been identified as being part of the conspiracy in which the NIA has already filed two charge sheets on March 17, 2023, and November 6, 2023. (File Photo)
A resident of Malappuram district, Shafeekh, was part of the PFI machinery and hit squads that had carried out RSS leader Srinivasan’s targeted killing
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a key absconding member of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) for the 2022 gruesome murder of RSS leader Srinivasan in Kerala.
Shafeekh, who had been absconding since the targeted killing of Srinivasan in Palakkad on April 16, 2022, was tracked by the NIA Absconder Tracking Team to Kollam district. He has been taken into custody by the anti-terror agency for his involvement in the case (RC-02/2022/NIA/KOC).
A total of 71 persons have been identified as being part of the conspiracy in which the NIA has already filed two charge sheets on March 17, 2023, and November 6, 2023. One of the accused identified as Abdul Naser had died on January 2, 2023, while two absconders, Saheer KV and Jaffar Bheemantavida, were arrested respectively on October 19, 2023 and February 12, 2024.
A resident of Malappuram district, Shafeekh, was part of the PFI machinery and hit squads that had carried out Srinivasan’s targeted killing. As per the NIA investigation, he had harboured Ashraf KP, who, under directions of the PFI leadership, had conspired with other leaders and cadres of the organisation to execute the conspiracy. Ashraf had also conducted recce of various potential targets for elimination.
Last May, the NIA arrested Saheer KV in the murder of Srinivasan, whose murder was in retaliation to the killing of SDPI activist Subair a day before.
Saheer was part of the PFI assault and protection team that carried out the targeted killing. He was also responsible for providing protection to main assailants of Srinivasan, an NIA spokesperson had said as quoted by news agency PTI.
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