The National Investigation Agency (NIA) inquiring into the murder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary Srinivasan here has issued a lookout notice for four former Popular Front of India (PFI) activists, including an unidentified person.
The notice posted on social media platform X said that Abdul Wahab V.A. from Muppathadam, Paravur; Abdul Rasheed K. from Nhangattiri, Pattambi; and Ayoob T.A. from Edavanakkad, Vypin, were “involved in larger conspiracy to target individuals from other community and were involved in murder of Srinivasan from Palakkad, Kerala on 16.4.2022. Any information about them, please WhatsApp/DM 9194977152.”
Another post showing surveillance camera grabs of two men travelling on a motorcycle said “the unknown person in pictures below was involved in murder of Srinivasan, a resident of Palakkad, Kerala on 16.4.2022. He is wanted in NIA RC02/2022/NIA/KOC (PFI Kerala case). If you have any information about him, please share via WhatsApp@ 9497 715 924, email info.koc.nia@gov.in.”
Another NIA post on X showed a man wanted in connection with the chopping of the palm of Thodupuzha college teacher T.J. Joseph in 2010. “If anyone has any information about them, please WhatsApp/DM 919497715294,” said the post.
The NIA has linked more than six dozen former PFI activists to the murder of Srinivasan. While more than 50 of them are arrested, the remaining are absconding.
Srinivasan, a former physical trainer of the RSS, was hacked to death by a six-member gang of PFI men while he was sitting at his shop at Melamuri around 1.30 p.m. on April 16, 2022.
The murder was in apparent retaliation for the killing of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) worker A. Mohammed Subair the previous day (April 15, 2022) at Elappully, near Palakkad.
Subair was hacked to death by a gang of RSS men while he was returning from Juma prayers along with his father Aboobacker on a bike on the Vishu day. Subair’s murder took place about 200 metres away from his house.
In an apparently speedy retaliation for the murder, the PFI members targeted Srinivasan the very next day. It was found that a group of PFI men planned the retaliation at a ground behind the general hospital morgue here, where Subair’s body had been kept, on the night of April 15, 2022.
The police team that investigated Subair’s murder submitted their chargesheet before a court here on July 11, 2022. There were nine accused in the case. The police team that investigated Srinivasan’s murder too submitted their chargesheet two days later on July 13, 2022. There were 26 accused in the case.
However, the NIA took over Srinivasan’s murder case in early February this year and many more PFI functionaries were included in the chargesheet.
