In a significant turn of events, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has announced an extended surrender deadline for the accused of the brutal murder of Praveen Nettaru, a BJP youth leader. As per the latest update issued in Sullia, Dakshina Kannada, the fugitive suspects have been granted until August 18 to present themselves to the authorities.
Last month, Ummar Faruq and Mustafa, the accused from Sullia, were ordered to surrender before the NIA court by June 30. Court orders were visibly displayed at their respective residences, urging compliance.
In a stern warning, the NIA has made it clear that the assets of the accused linked to Nettaru’s murder will be subject to seizure in connection with the ongoing investigation.
The tragic incident occurred on July 26, 2022 when Praveen Nettaru fell victim to a ruthless attack by assailants on bikes outside his shop in Bellare. In response to calls for justice by party members, the BJP Government which was in power, handed over the murder investigation to the NIA.
After the case was handed over, the NIA has conducted several raids in Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu regarding this case.
On July 16, NIA officials visited the residence of K. A. Masood, a state-level leader associated with the PFI organisation, in Uppinangady’s Nekkiladi Village. Masood, the fifth accused in Nettaru’s murder, is currently evading law enforcement. The NIA officials posted a copy of the court’s new order, compelling him to surrender and appear before the court on or before August 18.
NIA officials had resorted to public address systems, announcing about property confiscation should he fail to surrender within the given time. Furthermore, a reward has been announced for anyone providing vital information leading to the current whereabouts of Masood.
While the new court notice surfaced on July 16, the first court notice in this matter was released on June 28 and expected the accused to surrender by June 30. It is important to note that the accused had only two days to turn themselves in, which is highly impractical considering the possibility that the accused had left the country.
This time over, the accused are given a whole month to surrender and appear before the court. This is a reasonable time frame, but would the accused turn themselves in, while a national agency is looking to grill them?