Bantwal, Feb 23: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has attached the freedom community hall operating at Mittur in Dakshina Kannada district in connection with the ongoing investigation into the murder of a BJP youth wing leader.

Police sources said the action was taken after it came to light during the investigation that the now-banned PFI was in the past providing arms training in the hall.

The NIA, under the UAPA Section 25 /1067, has attached the property-Popular Front of India freedom community hall or Mittur community hall, belonging to Shanmugam freedom educational and charitable trust, sources said.

The NIA, in its order dated February 23, has prohibited the transfer, renting out, use of this building or making any changes to it, the sources said.

Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader Praveen Nettaru was hacked to death on the night of July 26 last year at Bellare in Sullia taluk of DK district. The NIA had taken over the investigation into the case from the local police.

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Mumbai (PTI): Former Union minister Sharad Pawar on Monday said that he and nephew Ajit Pawar are together as a family, but made it clear that the latter was heading a different political party.

“Gharat tari ekatrach ahet (we are together at home least),” the veteran politician said at a press conference at Chiplun in coastal Konkan region.

He was responding to a query about the demand from “various quarters in the state” that the uncle-nephew duo should come together once again.

In July last year, Ajit Pawar broke away from his uncle to join the Eknath Shinde-led government in the state as deputy chief minister. Of late, there has been speculation over his continuation in the ruling alliance.

Asked about Ajit Pawar’s recent remarks the decision to make his wife Sunetra Pawar contest the Lok Sabha polls against Supriya Sule in Baramati was a mistake, the veteran politician said, “He is in a different party. Why should we comment on decisions taken by another party?”

Asked if the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of NCP (SP), Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) had decided its chef ministerial face, Pawar said, “I don’t think that it is an urgent issue at the moment”.

When elections were held after the Emergency, Morarji Desai’s name as PM candidate was not disclosed before polling, he added.

“Our (MVA) attempt is to give a progressive alternative in Maharashtra with help of other parties like Samajwadi Party and Peasants and Workers Party,” he said.

“Our observation is that the people of Maharashtra have made up their mind to give us (MVA) a chance in the ensuing elections,” he said.

Asked about Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu’s claim that sub-standard ghee with 'animal fat' was used to make prasad laddoos at Tirupati temple during Jaganmohan Reddy's tenure as CM, Pawar said, “If anything was mixed, it is very wrong and action should be taken against those involved”.