NIA Arrests Former PFI Palakkad Chief in 2022 RSS Leader Sreenivasan Murder Case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested another key accused who had been absconding in connection with the 2022 murder of RSS leader Sreenivasan in Kerala, officials said on Thursday.

The accused, identified as Muhammadali KP, a former Popular Front of India (PFI) Palakkad district president, was arrested after arriving at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. According to the NIA, he had been hiding in the country for the past four years.

With Muhammadali's arrest, the total number of arrests in the case has risen to 67, the agency said. He is among the 65 accused chargesheeted by the NIA under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

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

The NIA had earlier announced a ₹3 lakh reward for information leading to his arrest. An Interpol Red Notice had also been issued against the accused.

According to the agency, Sreenivasan was hacked to death by PFI cadres as part of a conspiracy allegedly aimed at creating communal divisions through violent extremism.

The NIA's investigation also found that the banned outfit operated through specialised wings, including its Physical Education Wing, which allegedly facilitated arms training under the guise of fitness activities, a Reporters Wing that gathered intelligence on potential targets, and Service Teams allegedly involved in carrying out violent acts.

Muhammadali will be shifted to Kerala and is expected to be produced before the NIA Special Court in Kochi soon. Further investigation into the case is underway, officials said.