NIA Arrests Absconding PFI Activist in Connection with Murder of Palakkad RSS Leader

The NIA has arrested another key suspect -- who was absconding -- in the 2022 RSS leader Sreenivasan murder case in Kerala involving the banned outfit PFI, officials said on Thursday.

The accused, identified as Muhammadali KP, a former Popular Front of India (PFI) Palakkad district president, was taken into custody upon his arrival at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he had been hiding for the past four years.

With his arrest, the total number of individuals arrested in the case has reached 67, NIA said.

According to NIA, Muhammadali, a resident of Palakkad district, was among the 65 accused chargesheeted under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the 2022 case.

The agency said that he played a central role in the murder conspiracy and provided shelter to the assailants involved in the killing of Sreenivasan on April 16, 2022.

The NIA had previously announced a bounty of Rs 3 lakh for information leading to his arrest, and an Interpol Red Notice had also been issued against him.

Sreenivasan was hacked to death by PFI cadres as part of a conspiracy to trigger communal divide through violent extremism, the NIA said.

Investigations by the agency revealed that the PFI operated through specialised wings—utilising its 'Physical Education Wing' for arms training under the guise of fitness activities, a 'Reporters Wing' to gather intelligence on potential targets, and 'Service Teams' to carry out violent acts.

Officials said he will be shifted to Kerala and produced before the NIA court in Kochi soon.

Further investigation in the case is ongoing, official sources said.