NIA arrests key conspirator in RSS leader’s murder case from Mumbai airport

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a PFI member, who was allegedly the key conspirator in the murder case of RSS leader R Rudresh, from Mumbai airport on his return from abroad, an official said on Saturday.

Ghouse Nayazi, who was on the run since 2016, was arrested by a special team at the Mumbai International Airport on Friday soon after his arrival from Dar-e-Salaam, Tanzania, a spokesperson of the federal agency said. The agency had placed a reward of Rs 5 lakh on Nayazi, making him a high-profile target.

Rudresh, a prominent RSS leader of Shivajinagar area of Bengaluru, was hacked to death by four members of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in Karnataka on October 16, 2016. However, after perpetrating the crime, Nayazi had managed to evade authorities, establishing residence in various countries.

The spokesperson said investigations into the case had revealed that the murder was part of a larger conspiracy hatched by Nayazi, president of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), Hebbal Assembly constituency, and one Asim Sheriff.

“The duo had persuaded the other four accused to kill Rudresh with an intention to strike terror among the members of the RSS and the society. The killers were made to believe that the fight against the RSS was a holy war,” the official said.

With the arrest of Nayazi, all the accused in the case have been arrested. The trial against the other accused is going on in the NIA Special Court, Bengaluru.

It was the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) that took the lead in tracking his movements, eventually sharing crucial information with the central agency.

Nayazi's involvement in Rudresh's murder had sent shockwaves through the nation, prompting a relentless pursuit by law enforcement agencies.

(With agency inputs)