The National Investigation Agency has approached the Supreme Court to contest a Kerala High Court ruling that granted bail to 17 members of the Popular Front of India in connection with the 2022 murder of RSS leader Srinivasan.
During a hearing on Friday, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhatti, representing the NIA, informed a bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih that the agency has submitted 17 separate appeals regarding the matter.
Bhatti explained that the Kerala High Court had issued its controversial order on June 25, granting bail to the 17 accused while denying it to nine others. “We have filed 17 separate Special Leave Petitions and request that all be heard together,” she urged the bench.
The court, which was also considering a plea from one of the accused, Saddam Hussain MK, whose bail was rejected by the high court, directed the registry to seek permission from Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud to consolidate the cases for hearing.
The individuals granted bail are implicated not only in Srinivasan’s murder but also in allegedly instigating communal violence across Kerala and other regions. The high court’s decision came in response to appeals from 26 accused who challenged a special court’s denial of their bail requests.
In granting bail, the high court imposed strict conditions: the accused must share their mobile numbers and real-time GPS locations with the investigating officer, remain in Kerala, surrender their passports, and keep their mobile phones charged and active at all times.
The court also directed the 17 accused to “present themselves before the special court, which shall enlarge them on bail on conditions it deems necessary.”
Initially, 51 individuals were named as accused in connection with Srinivasan’s murder on April 16, 2022, in Palakkad district. One suspect has since died, and seven others remain at large.
Charge sheets against the remaining accused were filed in two phases in July and December 2022.
As the investigation unfolded, the Centre received intelligence indicating that PFI leaders and affiliates in Kerala had conspired to incite communal violence and radicalize their members for potential terrorist acts.
In light of this information, the Centre directed the NIA in September 2022 to take over the investigation.
On December 19, 2022, the Centre noted that Srinivasan’s murder was part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated by PFI leaders, which had significant national and international implications.
NIA subsequently filed a consolidated charge sheet in 2023, along with two supplementary charge sheets.
The legal proceedings are ongoing, with significant implications for the accused and the broader context of communal tensions in the region.
