NIA arrests two suspects in 2022 murder of Praveen Nettaru

The National Investigation Agency has arrested two long-sought suspects in the 2022 murder of Bharatiya Janata Party youth leader Praveen Nettaru, a breakthrough in a high-profile case that had sparked national outrage. The arrests of Abdul Nasir and Naushad were made on July 11 following coordinated operations across multiple states.

Abdul Nasir was apprehended in Kochi, Kerala, while Naushad was arrested in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. The NIA stated the operation was based on credible intelligence provided by Andhra Pradesh police. Both men had been absconding for nearly four years and were among several suspects for whom the agency had announced rewards of 400,000 rupees each for information leading to their capture. A special court in Bengaluru had issued open-dated arrest warrants and lookout circulars against them.

According to the NIA, the two men played a crucial role in the conspiracy by arranging safe houses for the primary assailants in Kodagu, Mysuru, and Erode in Tamil Nadu following the murder. The agency alleges the accused are members of the banned Popular Front of India. They had been formally charged in a supplementary chargesheet filed in April 2025 under various...