NIA arrests key absconder in PFI-linked Srinivasan murder case at IGI airport

On Thursday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Muhammadali KP, a key absconder and former Palakkad district president of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), at Indira Gandhi International Airport after he arrived from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This arrest is an important step in the 2022 Sreenivasan murder case and brings the total number of people in custody to 67. Muhammadali KP had been living in Saudi Arabia for four years. He was already one of the 65 people charged in the case registered as RC-02/2022/NIA/KOC.

The NIA has charged him under the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Authorities announced a reward of Rs three lakh for information leading to his arrest, and Interpol issued a Red Notice.

Investigators say Muhammadali, from Palakkad district in Kerala, played a key role in planning the killing of Sreenivasan on April 16, 2022.

According to the NIA, he helped organise the murder and gave shelter to those involved. The agency took over the investigation in September 2022. It linked the crime to the PFI’s larger goal of using violence to create communal divisions and what it calls a plan to establish Islamic rule in India by 2047. The NIA found that the PFI operated through a network of different wings and units. The group is accused of using its offices, campuses, and other facilities to train selected members in the use of weapons, while presenting these activities as physical education and yoga programs run by its PE Wing.

‘The Reporters Wing’ gathered information about possible targets, and ‘Service Teams’ carried out violent attacks. Investigators think Sreenivasan’s murder was planned to create fear and divide communities. According to the NIA, the accused worked together to promote violent extremism and jihad in India. With Muhammadali K.P. now in custody, the agency says its case against the other suspects is stronger, and it is still following leads about the group’s wider network.

The arrest at a major international airport highlights the NIA’s ongoing efforts to find fugitives linked to banned groups. Officials said the accused had been living quietly in Saudi Arabia since leaving India after the case picked up speed. His return and arrest are important steps in the investigation and raise more questions about the PFI’s methods and funding. The Sreenivasan murder case is still one of the most high-profile investigations since the PFI was banned.

The NIA has already filed charge sheets against many of the accused and is still looking into the roles of different units within the group. The investigation is ongoing, with agencies focusing on the remaining networks and absconders. This latest development is expected to help the prosecution as the case moves through the courts, sources said.

The NIA has repeated its commitment to breaking up the infrastructure of banned groups that try to disrupt social harmony through violence and extremism. More details about the questioning of Muhammadali K.P., as well as any new information, are expected soon, the sources added.