The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested activist of the banned Islamist outfit Popular Front, Taufil, in connection with the murder of Karnataka BJP Yuva Morcha leader Praveen Nettaru on Saturday. A wanted criminal, Taufil carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head.
Son of a butcher, Taufil along with his colleagues, murdered Nettaru, a promising BJP leader, on July 26 last year in Bellare village in Dakshina Kannada district. In January, the NIA charge-sheeted 20 accused in the matter before a Special NIA court in Bengaluru.
In the chargesheet, the NIA claimed that Nettaru was targeted to spread terror in the minds of Hindus. The case initially investigated by the local police was later transferred to NIA.
“Investigations revealed that the PFI, as part of its agenda to create terror, communal hatred and unrest in society and to further its agenda of establishing Islamic rule by 2047, formed secret teams called ‘Service Teams or Killer Squads’ to carry out killings of its ‘perceived enemies’ and targets. These Service Team members were given arms as well attack training, and training in surveillance techniques in order to identify, list out and to mount surveillance on leaders belonging to certain communities and groups. These Service Team members were further trained to kill identified targets, on the instructions of senior PFI leaders,” the NIA has said.
Discussion about this post