Kerala HC rejects bail of 7 PFI members accused in 2022 RSS leader murder case

A seat of justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and K V Jayakumar said that connected cautious information of the materials connected record, it was of the presumption that the prosecution has succeeded successful showing the allegations against the 7 accused “are prima facie true”.

The High Court noted that, according to the records, 1 of the 7 accused had arranged the motorcycle utilized by the assailants “to behaviour a recce for locating the people (Srinivasan) and carrying retired the violent act.” The tribunal besides noted that the records indicated 2 of the 7 accused had conducted a recce of the people connected April 15, 2022.

Additionally, respective documents, notices, magazines, and different items seized from the location of different accused included the arguable question insubstantial linked to the “hand chopping case.” The “hand chopping case” refers to the 2010 incidental successful Idukki district, wherever Professor T J Joseph’s thenar was chopped disconnected aft helium was accused of insulting Prophet Mohammed successful a question insubstantial for an interior examination.

In airy of these factors, the HC ruled the 7 accused “are not entitled to beryllium released connected bail.” The determination followed the accused person’s plea challenging the NIA peculiar court’s refusal to assistance them bail. Initially, 51 persons were named arsenic accused successful transportation with the execution of Srinivasan connected April 16, 2022. One of the arrested suspects died, and 7 others stay absconding.

Chargesheets for the remaining accused were filed successful 2 phases, successful July and December 2022.

During the probe into the murder, the Centre received quality suggesting that office-bearers and members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliates successful Kerala had conspired to instigate communal unit and radicalise their cadre to transportation retired violent acts successful Kerala and different parts of the country, the precocious tribunal said.

In September 2022, the Centre directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to instrumentality implicit the probe of the lawsuit against the accused. On September 28, 2022, the Centre declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) a banned organisation.

The NIA filed its chargesheets successful 2023, aft which the accused filed their bail pleas earlier the peculiar court. In June this year, the tribunal granted bail to 17 of the accused successful the aforesaid lawsuit but denied alleviation to 9 others.

S K Srinivasan, a erstwhile territory person and office-bearer of the RSS, was attacked by a six-member pack astatine his motorbike store successful Melamuri, Palakkad, little than 24 hours aft a PFI leader, Subair, was allegedly killed by BJP workers successful a adjacent village.