NIA arrests 2 Praveen Nettaru murder absconders; total custody count hits 24
Synopsis
Three years after BJP worker Praveen Nettaru was hacked to death in Karnataka's communally sensitive Dakshina Kannada, the NIA has run down two more absconders across state lines — from Kerala and Tamil Nadu — using an Andhra Pradesh Police tip. With 24 now in custody and three still at large, the agency's pursuit of PFI's alleged 'killer squads' is far from over.
Key Takeaways
The NIA arrested Abdul Nasir (from Kochi, Kerala ) and Naushad (from Hosur, Tamil Nadu ) on Saturday in the Praveen Nettaru murder case .
Total accused in custody now stands at 24 ; three accused remain absconding.
Both were previously charge-sheeted under IPC and UAPA for harbouring the main assailants; a reward of ₹4 lakh each had been announced for information about them.
Praveen Nettaru , a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, was hacked to death on 26 July 2022 at Bellare, Dakshina Kannada , allegedly by PFI -linked 'killer squads'.
The killing triggered retaliatory violence and stabbing incidents across Karnataka .
The NIA says it is continuing efforts to trace the three remaining absconders .
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested two key absconders — Abdul Nasir and Naushad — on Saturday in connection with the 2022 targeted killing of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Yuva Morcha leader Praveen Nettaru in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district, bringing the total number of accused in custody to 24. Three accused remain at large, the NIA confirmed.
How the Arrests Were Made
Abdul Nasir was apprehended from Kochi, Kerala, while Naushad was picked up from Hosur, Tamil Nadu — a cross-state operation executed on the basis of credible intelligence shared by the Andhra Pradesh Police. The NIA described the operation as meticulous, spanning two states simultaneously.
Both accused had been previously charge-sheeted under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for knowingly harbouring the main assailants who carried out the murder. A Look Out Circular (LOC) and an open-dated arrest warrant had been issued against them by the NIA Special Court in Bengaluru. The agency had also announced a reward of ₹4 lakh each for information leading to their capture.
The Praveen Nettaru Murder: Background
Praveen Nettaru, a BJP Yuva Morcha District Executive Committee member, was hacked to death on 26 July 2022 at Bellare near Sullia in Dakshina Kannada — a region already on edge during the height of the 'hijab' controversy. Investigation subsequently established that the killing was a premeditated act carried out by covert 'killer squads' linked to the Popular Front of India (PFI), which has since been banned.
According to investigators, the objective was to create communal terror, incite unrest, and target individuals from specific community groups. The murder triggered a chain of revenge killings and multiple stabbing incidents across Karnataka, deepening the communal fault lines in the coastal district.
Scale of the Investigation
The NIA's probe into the Nettaru case has now resulted in the arrest of 24 accused since 2022. The case underscores the agency's sustained focus on dismantling PFI's alleged operational networks in southern India, particularly in Karnataka and Kerala. A senior NIA official stated that efforts to track down the three remaining absconders are actively continuing.
Notably, this is among the most high-profile targeted-killing cases the NIA has pursued in the post-PFI-ban period, with the charge sheet alleging an organised conspiracy rather than spontaneous violence.
What Comes Next
With Abdul Nasir and Naushad now in custody, the NIA is expected to seek their formal remand before the NIA Special Court in Bengaluru for further interrogation. Investigators believe the remaining three absconders may hold critical information about the broader command structure behind the killing.
Point of View
Not the NIA's own surveillance, raises a quiet question about inter-agency coordination. More significantly, with three accused still at large, the trial's evidentiary architecture remains incomplete. The Nettaru case was never just a murder file — it was a stress test for how India's counter-terror apparatus responds when communal violence is allegedly industrialised through organised squads. The answer, so far, is slow but persistent.
NationPress
12 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Praveen Nettaru and why was he killed?
Praveen Nettaru was a BJP Yuva Morcha District Executive Committee member from Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka. He was hacked to death on 26 July 2022 at Bellare near Sullia, allegedly by 'killer squads' linked to the banned PFI, with investigators saying the motive was to create communal terror and target individuals from specific groups.
Who were the two absconders arrested by the NIA?
The two absconders are Abdul Nasir, arrested from Kochi in Kerala, and Naushad, arrested from Hosur in Tamil Nadu. Both had been charge-sheeted under the IPC and UAPA for harbouring the main assailants in the Praveen Nettaru murder.
How many accused have been arrested in the Praveen Nettaru case so far?
With the latest two arrests, the total number of accused taken into custody in the case has reached 24. Three accused are still absconding, and the NIA says it is actively pursuing them.
What charges do the arrested accused face?
Abdul Nasir and Naushad were charge-sheeted under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for knowingly and voluntarily harbouring the main assailants who murdered Praveen Nettaru.
What was the broader impact of Praveen Nettaru's murder?
The killing triggered revenge killings and a wave of stabbing incidents across Karnataka, particularly in the communally sensitive Dakshina Kannada region. Investigators concluded the murder was a planned act designed to incite communal unrest across the state.
