Bengaluru: At a time when the NIA is all set to take a decisive action in the Praveen Kumar Nettaru murder case, sources said on June 29 that the accused may have taken shelter in Arab countries.
The NIA Special Court has granted permission for seizure of residences and properties of the prime accused persons, Umar Farooq and Mustafa Paichar, both residents of Kallumutlu if they fail to surrender before June 30.
Abubakkar Siddique and Tuffail M. H., are also the prime accused. NIA has been trying to arrest them in connection with the murder. The agency had declared Rs. 14 Lakh reward for clues on these accused persons. The NIA had declared Rs. 5 Lakh bounty each on clues about Tufail and Mohammad Mustafa.
Umar Farooq and Abubakkar Siddiqui have Rs. 2 Lakh bounty on them.
Sources said that Tuffail was involved in communal violence that took place in Kodagu and was part of the assault team of Popular Front of India (PFI). The accused have settled in Arab nations after the case was handed over to the NIA. They had escaped through Nepal with the help of members of terrorist organisations and sympathisers. The NIA teams had gone to Nepal for the arrest of the accused and returned empty-handed after the accused managed to cross the border before the officers could reach them.
The NIA had announced that it will seize properties that belong to the two key accused in the Praveen Nettaru murder case in Karnataka if they failed to surrender before it by June 30. The NIA has also offered cash rewards for information about the whereabouts of the absconding accused persons Umar Farooq and Mustafa Paichar, both residents of Kallu Mutlu in Dakshina Kannada District.