The National Investigation Agency (NIA) successfully apprehended a crucial figure linked to the murder of RSS leader R Rudresh in Bengaluru back in 2016. The man has been identified as Mohammed Ghouse Nayazi, a member of the Popular Front of India (PFI), who was a key conspirator and had been evading authorities since the incident.
Nayazi was taken into custody by an NIA team at Mumbai International Airport upon his return from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, based on credible intelligence.
The investigation uncovered that Rudresh’s murder was orchestrated as part of a larger scheme led by Nayazi along with an accomplice named Asim Sheriff.
“Rudresh, a prominent RSS leader of Shivajinagar, Bengaluru, was hacked to death by four members of the now banned PFI, on 16th October 2016. NIA investigations into the case (RC-04/2016/NIA/ HYD) had revealed that the murder was part of a larger conspiracy hatched by Ghouse, President of SDPI Hebbal Assembly Constituency, and one Asim Sheriff,” the NIA statement read.
They persuaded four individuals to execute the killing in a bid to instill fear within the RSS and society at large, portraying the act as a ‘holy war’ against the organisation, as per NIA statements.
Authorities have reportedly revealed that Nayazi, also known as Ghouse Bhai, had been residing in RT Nagar, Bengaluru, and was traced to the United Arab Emirates by the Gujarat Anti-Terror Squad.
Despite his Indian passport expiring in 2021, he remained in Dubai without pursuing renewal procedures. Subsequently, Dubai authorities deported him to Ahmedabad to face legal repercussions.
“With Ghouse’s arrest, all the accused in the case have been arrested. The trial against the remaining accused persons is continuing in NIA Special Court, Bengaluru,” NIA said in a statement.
He was not explicitly named in the NIA chargesheet. However, Nayazi’s involvement was inferred by law enforcement, media reports stated citing sources.
Additionally, investigations aim to explore Nayazi’s alleged financing of criminal activities and potential connections to previous incidents, including a thwarted terror plot in Bengaluru in July 2023.
