The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has declared cash rewards of Rs 5 lakh each on two Popular Front of India (PFI) members wanted in the murder of BJP's Yuva Morcha leader Praveen Nettaru, news agency ANI reported.

The reward has been declared against Kadaje Mohammed Sherif, 53, and Masud KA, 40, both residents of the Kannada district in Karnataka. The NIA has made it clear that the identity of those sharing information will be kept anonymous.

The PFI members are wanted in connection with the murder of Nettaru, a resident of Bellare and the late district secretary of BJP Yuva Morcha, who was hacked to death outside his shop on July 26, 2022, to strike terror among the people of society.

The anti-terror agency has said those sharing information can contact "info.blr.niauw gov.in" and "080-29510900, 8904241100" or postal address SP, National Investigation Agency, 8th floor, Sir M Visvesvaraiah Kendriya Bhawan, Domlur, Bengaluru-560071" for any information.

As of now, over 10 accused have been arrested in the case, and the NIA has also declared a reward against four other absconding accused persons in this case, as efforts to arrest them continue. The case was initially registered at Bellare Police Station in Dakshina Kannada district on July 27 and re-registered by the NIA on August 4.

During several searches conducted earlier, the NIA claimed to have seized digital devices and incriminating documents from the houses of the accused and suspects. Three people had come in a vehicle on the night of July 26 and hacked 32-year-old Nettaru to death outside his chicken shop off the Puttur-Sullia Road at Bellare in Mangaluru.

During the investigation, the state police found out the role of PFI and the matter was handed over to the NIA following an order issued by the Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Towards the end of September, the MHA banned the PFI, its associates, and affiliates for a period of five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by declaring it as an unlawful association.

Besides involvement in Nettaru's murder, the PFI cadres are also accused of involvement in several terrorist acts and the murder of several persons, including Sanjith (Kerala, November 2021), V-Ramalingam (Tamil Nadu, 2019), Nandu (Kerala, 2021), Abhimanyu (Kerala, 2018), Bibin (Kerala, 2017), Sharath (Karnataka, 2017), R. Rudresh (Karnataka, 2016), Praveen Puyari (Karnataka, 2016), and Sasi Kumar (Tamil Nadu, 2016).

The MHA has said that the criminal activities and brutal murders have been carried out by the PFI cadres for the sole objective of "disturbing public peace and tranquillity and creating a reign of terror in the public mind".

Additionally, the MHA mentioned about "international linkages of PFI with Global Terrorist Groups", and that some of the activists of the outfit have joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some of these PFI cadres linked to ISIS have been killed in these conflict theatres and some have been arrested by State Police and Central Agencies and also the "PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Muyahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a proscribed terrorist organization."

Image courtesy: ANI