NIA arrests key absconding accused in murder of BJP leader Praveen Nettaru
New Delhi, Jul 4 (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested a key accused, who had been absconding for the last two years, in connection with its probe into the brutal murder of BJP leader Praveen Nettaru in Karnataka, officials said.
The accused, Abdul Rahaman, was taken into custody by the NIA team at the Kannur International Airport in Kerala on his arrival from Qatar, they said.
A total of four accused, including Rahaman and two other absconders, were chargesheeted by the NIA in the case in April this year, taking the total chargesheeted in the case to 28.
The NIA had also declared rewards for information relating to six absconders. Rahaman was carrying a reward of Rs four lakh for this arrest.
Investigations revealed that Rahaman, on directions of PFI leadership, voluntarily harboured the main assailants and others involved in the case, the agency said in a statement, adding that he fled to Qatar after the attackers were arrested.
Nettaru was killed with sharp weapons by PFI cadres/members on July 26, 2022, in Bellare village of Sullia Taluk in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, the statement said.
The killing was part of a larger conspiracy aimed at striking terror among the people and unleashing communal hatred and unrest in the society, the NIA said.
The NIA, which re-registered the case on August 4, 2022, is trying to track down the remaining absconders.
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UP Cong chief Ajay Rai hospitalised after fainting, stable
Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai was hospitalised here after he fell unconscious due to low sodium levels, party leaders said on Saturday.
They said he was admitted to Medanta Hospital on Friday evening and is stable.
"Ajay Rai was admitted to Medanta Hospital in Lucknow at around 6 pm on Friday after he fell unconscious as his sodium levels had dropped. He fell unconscious at his residence in Lucknow. For the entire day, he was engaged in party programmes and had also gone to the airport," Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi told PTI.
Congress in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Avinash Pande told PTI, "Now, he (Ajay Rai) is stable and I am also reaching Lucknow."
Medanta Hospital Director Dr Rakesh Kapoor told PTI that Rai collapsed at his home on Friday evening and was subsequently admitted to the hospital's emergency ward.
Medical examinations revealed that Rai was suffering from a sodium deficiency and elevated blood pressure. Doctors administered immediate treatment and he is doing significantly better now, Kapoor said.
A team of doctors is monitoring his health. Rai is conversing with others and his condition is stable, he added.
In a post on X late Friday night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Rai a speedy recovery.
Rai hails from Varanasi and had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections against Modi from the parliamentary constituency. The Congress appointed him as the Uttar Pradesh unit chief in 2023.
