NIA chargesheet against 20 in Praveen Nettaru murder case

MANGALURU/ BENGALURU: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed a chargesheet against 20 accused in the NIA special court, Bengaluru in connection with the Praveen Nettaru murder case.
Nettaru, a resident of Bellare and BJP worker, was murdered with sharp weapons, allegedly by cadres of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), on July 26, 2022, to strike terror in the society and create fear among people.
Nettaru was killed to create terror: NIA
These service team members were given arms as well as training in attack and surveillance to identify, list and watch individuals/leaders belonging to certain communities and groups. These members were trained to assault/kill identified targets on the instructions of senior PFI leaders.
Further to conspiracy meetings by PFI members and leaders in Bengaluru city, Sullia town and Bellare village, the head of district service team Mustafa Paichar was allegedly instructed to recce, identify and target a prominent member of a particular community.
As per instructions, four persons identified and among them, Praveen Nettaru of BJP Yuva Morcha was assaulted and killed in public to create terror among people and especially among members of a particular community. The accused have been chargesheeted under various sections of 120B, 153A, 302 and 34 of IPC and sections 16, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Section 25(1)(a) of Arms Act.
The accused are Mahammed Shiyab, 33, Abdul Basheer 29, Riyaz, 28, Mustafa Paichar alias Mahmmad Musthaf S, 43, Masud K A, 40, Kodaje Mohammed Sherif, 53, Abubakkar Siddik, 38, Noufal M, 38, Ismail Shafi, K Mahammad Iqbal, Shaheed M, 38, Mahammad Shafeek G, 28, Ummar Farook M R, 22, Abdul Kabeer, 33, Muhammad Ibrahim Sha, 23, Sainul Abid Y, 23, Shekh Saddam Hussain,28, Zakiar, 30, N Abdul Haris, 40, from Dakshina Kannada and Thufail M H from Kodagu. Among the chargesheeted accused, Mustafa Paichar, Masud KA, Kodaje Mohammed Sherif, Abubakkar Siddik, Ummar Farook M R and Thufail M H are absconding and rewards have been announced for information leading to their arrest. Investigation in the case is under way.