Kochi: The Kerala High Court has dismissed the bail petition of nine Popular Front activists who are accused in the murder case of RSS worker Sreenivasan from Palakkad. According to the HC order, the petition moved by Saddam Hussain, Ashraf, Noushad, Karamana Ashraf Moulavi, Ansari Eerattupetta, Muhammad Ali, Yahya Koya Thangal, Rauf, and Sathar has been rejected as the charges against them stand prima facie.

Meanwhile, the HC division bench comprising Jayasankaran Nambiar and JV M Shyam Kumar has granted bail to the other 17 accused in the case. The court granted bail to Ali, Abdul Kabeer, Sainuddeen, Usman, CT Sulaiman, Sadiq, Shihas, MUjeeb, Mubarak, Nishad, Rasheed, Fiyas, Akbar Ali, Ashraf, Riswan, and Najumuddeen, considering their argument that the trial proceedings would take a long time to complete.

The accused approached the court following the NIA court’s denial of their bail petition. It was the NIA that submitted the charge sheet before the court after completing the investigation. Earlier, the HC had also rejected the accused's petition against the transfer of the case to the NIA.

It was on April 16, 2022, that Sreenivasan was hacked to death when a gang on three bikes barged into SKS Autos at Melamuri, where Sreenivasan was working. During the preliminary investigation, it was found that the assailants belonged to the Popular Front.

The investigation team found that the attack was launched in retaliation for the murder of Popular Front leader Subair. The NIA took over the case from the Kerala Police, which initially investigated the case. The first charge sheet was filed in March 2023, and the second charge sheet was submitted in November 2023.