NIA chargesheets 64th accused in Kerala PFI case

Kochi, June 12 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a supplementary charge sheet against another accused in the murder of RSS worker Sreenivasan in Kerala’s Palakkad district, allegedly carried out by members of the Popular Front of India (PFI), a statement said.

The latest chargesheet, submitted before the NIA Special Court in Ernakulam, names Rafeek M S as the 64th individual to be formally charged in the case. He has been booked under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

According to the NIA, Rafeek, an active PFI cadre, conspired with others involved in the terror attack on Sreenivasan. He harboured key accused Muhammad Shefeek, a core member of the conspiracy team, and destroyed evidence related to the crime.

Notably, Rafeek continued to shelter Shefeek even after PFI was banned by the Government of India in September 2022.

Investigations also revealed that Rafeek had undergone arms and physical training at a PFI-run facility in Periyar Valley Campus, Aluva (Ernakulam) as part of preparations to commit terror acts for the organisation.

The murder of Sreenivasan on April 16, 2022, was part of what the NIA describes as PFI’s “nefarious agenda to establish Islamic Rule in India by 2047.”

The attack occurred just a day after PFI leader Subair was hacked to death in front of his father, also in Palakkad.

Sreenivasan, a former RSS functionary, was attacked in his shop by six men on three motorcycles in a brutal daylight assault.

So far, the NIA has identified 71 accused in the case, with eight still absconding. The investigation is ongoing, and efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects continue.

In a chilling development, the investigating officer in the case received threat calls in November 2022, warning him of consequences for pursuing the inquiry.

According to his complaint filed at the Palakkad Town South Police Station, the caller said, “Your investigation is troubling us. Keep your coffin ready.”

Authorities are treating the threats seriously as the case continues to unfold.

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