According to the agency, Abdul Rahaman had “voluntarily harboured the main assailants and others involved in the case,” allegedly on instructions from the leadership of the banned Popular Front of India. He had reportedly fled to Qatar after the attackers were arrested.
Published Jul 04, 2025 | 8:22 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 04, 2025 | 8:22 PM
Slain BJP activist Praveen Nettaru. (Supplied)
Synopsis: The National Investigation Agency on Friday arrested Abdul Rahaman, a key accused in the 2022 murder of BJP Yuva Morcha leader Praveen Nettaru, at Kannur airport following his arrival from Qatar. Rahaman, who had been absconding for two years, is accused of sheltering the killers on instructions from the banned Popular Front of India and was chargesheeted earlier this year along with others.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday, 4 July, arrested Abdul Rahaman, a key accused in the 2022 murder of BJP Yuva Morcha member Praveen Nettaru, at Kannur International Airport in Kerala, on his arrival from Qatar.
Rahaman had reportedly been absconding for two years. The NIA said he was chargesheeted in April 2025 along with three others, including two more absconding accused.
His arrest takes the total number of persons chargesheeted in the case to 28, the agency said. A reward of ₹4 lakh had earlier been announced for information leading to his arrest.
According to the agency, Rahaman had “voluntarily harboured the main assailants and others involved in the case,” allegedly on instructions from the leadership of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). He had reportedly fled to Qatar after the attackers were arrested.
The agency added that efforts are ongoing to trace other accused who are still absconding.
Praveen Nettaru (32), then a District Committee Member of the BJP Yuva Morcha, was hacked to death by unidentified bike-borne assailants on the night of 26 July, 2022, in Bellare village of Sullia taluk, in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district.
According to the police, he was returning home from his poultry shop when he was attacked. He tried to escape but collapsed after being struck on the head.
The NIA has said that members of the PFI carried out the killing as part of “a larger conspiracy aimed at striking terror among the people and unleashing communal hatred and unrest in the society,” and to “further its agenda of establishing Islamic Rule by 2047”.
In its original chargesheet filed against 20 accused on 20 January, 2023, the agency stated that the PFI had formed secret units called “Service Teams” or “Killer Squads” to carry out killings of its “perceived enemies” and targets.
“These Service Team members were further trained to assault/kill identified targets, on the instructions of senior PFI leaders. 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,” the chargesheet said.
“As per instructions, four persons were recced and identified and among them Praveen Nettaru was assaulted and killed in full public view with lethal weapons to create a terror among the people at large and especially among members of a particular community.”
The case was initially registered on 27 July, 2022, at Bellare Police Station in Dakshina Kannada district, and was re-registered by the NIA on 4 August, 2022.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
