The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two key absconding accused in the 2022 murder case of BJP Yuva Morcha leader Praveen Nettaru, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 24.

The arrested accused have been identified as Abdul Nasir P. and Naushad. Abdul Nasir was apprehended from Kochi, Kerala, while Naushad was arrested from Hosur, Tamil Nadu, during a coordinated operation conducted on Saturday based on credible inputs received from the Andhra Pradesh Police, NIA said.

According to the NIA, the two accused had earlier been chargesheeted under various provisions of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly harbouring the main assailants involved in the targeted killing of Praveen Nettaru, a District Executive Committee member of BJP Yuva Morcha in Dakshina Kannada.

The agency said both accused had been absconding, following which the NIA Special Court in Bengaluru had issued Look Out Circulars (LOCs) and open-dated warrants against them. The NIA had also announced a reward of ₹4 lakh for information leading to each of their arrest.

The NIA said that with these arrests, 24 accused have been arrested in the case, while three accused remain absconding. The agency added that efforts are continuing to trace and apprehend the remaining fugitives.