Palakkad: In a major development in the murder case of RSS leader Sreenivasan in Palakkad, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested the alleged main assailant, who had been absconding since 2022.

The accused, Shamnad EK, alias Shamnad Illikkal, a resident of Manjeri in Malappuram, was apprehended in Ernakulam, the NIA said.

Authorities had earlier announced a reward of ₹7 lakh for information about him after he went into hiding following the murder.

NIA's Absconder Tracking Team traced Shamnad to Ernakulam and took him into custody, according to an official statement. However, officials remain clueless about the whereabouts of six other accused who are still absconding.

According to a PTI report, the accused, who was allegedly under the protection of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), had been living under a concealed identity since the "gruesome killing" of RSS leader Sreenivasan.

The NIA began its investigation into the murder case in September 2022. The probe revealed that PFI leaders and cadres allegedly conspired to commit the murder with the aim of creating a communal divide.

PFI was allegedly involved in radicalising vulnerable Muslim youth to further its "violent agenda" of establishing Islamic rule in India by 2047.

The organisation trained its recruits in weapon handling and actively raised funds to carry out acts of terror and violence across the country, the NIA said.

The banned outfit was executing its "nefarious" designs through multiple wings and units, such as the ‘Reporters Wing,’ ‘Physical and Arms Training Wing,’ and ‘Service Teams,’ according to NIA investigations. The agency further revealed that PFI used its campuses, facilities, and infrastructure to provide arms training to selected cadres under the guise of physical education, yoga training, and other programs.

So far, the NIA has booked 63 accused as part of its ongoing investigation into the case.

Meanwhile, on April 2, the Kerala High Court granted bail to 10 PFI members in connection with the Sreenivasan murder case.

A bench comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and P.V. Balakrishnan granted bail to Shefeek, Jafar B, Nassar, Jamsheer H, Abdul Basith, Muhammed Shefeek K, Ashraf K, Jishad B, Ashraf Moulavi, and Sirajudheen.

SK Sreenivasan, a former district leader and office-bearer of the RSS, was attacked by a six-member gang at his motorbike shop in Melamuri, Palakkad, on April 16, 2022 — less than 24 hours after BJP workers allegedly killed a PFI leader named Subair.