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Kodaje Mohammed Sherif, who had a lookout circular issued against him, was picked up on arrival from Bahrain at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here, NIA in a statement said.
Sherif, it said, is the state executive member of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) outfit.
BJP Yuva Morcha member Nettaru was hacked to death by PFI cadres and members on July 26, 2022, in Bellare village of Sullia Taluk in Dakshina Kannada district.
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According to the NIA investigation, Sherif headed the PFI’s service team and was responsible for conveying the instructions for targeted killings after discussion at the Front’s state executive committee.
It was on these instructions that another accused, Mustafa Paichar, and his team brutally hacked Nettaru to death, the agency said.
The murder was aimed at spreading terror, communal hatred and unrest in the society, the NIA investigation revealed.
Investigations to unfold the complete conspiracy and arrest the absconders are continuing, the statement said.
Earlier Arrests
Initially, Shafique from Bellare and Zakir from Savanur were arrested in Kerala. Following that, the arrests of key suspects such as Shihabuddin from Sullia, Basheer Elile, and Riyaz Ankatadka increased the number of detainees to 10.
In the last year, three more accused have been arrested: Tufail Madikeri in Bengaluru, Mustafa Paichar in Sakaleshpur, and Riyaz Yusuf Haralli at the Mumbai airport by NIA.
Accused at large
Despite multiple arrests, several accused individuals are still at large. Among them are Umar Farooq from Ullal, Abubakar Siddiq from Uppinangadi, Masood Agnadi from Uppinangadi, Abdul Nasir from Kodagu, Abdul Rehman from Kodagu, and Naushad from Belthangadi.
(With PTI inputs)