According to a formal statement released on Tuesday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained Shafeekh, a major suspect in the 2022 murder case of RSS leader Srinivasan in Kerala.
It was reported that Shafeekh, who had been missing since the deliberate killing of Srinivasan in Palakkad on April 16, 2022, had been located in the Kollam district of the state by the NIA’s absconder tracking team.
According to the NIA’s statement, he was arrested on Monday by the anti-terror agency due to his involvement in the case.
It claimed that Shafeekh was a crucial missing member of the outlawed Popular Front of India (PFI).
A total of 71 people have been identified as being part of the conspiracy and the NIA has already filed two charge-sheets — on March 17 and November 6 last year.
One of the accused, identified as Abdul Naser, had died on January 2 last year, while two absconders — Saheer K V and Jaffar Bheemantavida — were arrested on October 19 last year and February 12, respectively, the NIA said.
A resident of Kerala’s Malappuram district, Shafeekh was part of the PFI machinery and hit squads that had carried out the killing of Srinivasan.
According to investigations, he had harboured Ashraf K P, who under directions from the PFI leadership, had conspired with members of the organisation to execute the conspiracy, the NIA said, adding that Ashraf had also conducted a recce of various potential targets for elimination.
Read More
Watch: Woman Finds Rat in Train AC Compartment, Railways React
