RSS leader Srinivasan murder case: Supreme Court refuses to accept NIA bail for PFI members

The Supreme Court said the agency could meet a special court that violates the terms and conditions of bail by producing materials against the defendant. File | Image source: RV Moorthy

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (April 16, 2025) refused to entertain a petition filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NIA) against the murder of Srinivasan, leader of RSS in the Parakhad region of Kerala, granted bail to 17 popular fronts in India.

The judge, composed of judges Abhay S. Oka and N. Kotiswar Singh, pointed out that the Kerala High Court ordered the defendant to be one year old and that the HC has the right to cancel the bail in case of a breach of the conditions.

“Our attention is invited to observe in the last part of the orders that the High Court reserves freedom to the petitioner in order to apply for a cancellation of bail to the Special Court.

The bench said: “Therefore, the petitioner can always apply to the Special Court for the revocation of bail on the grounds set out in the affidavit filed in these petitions.

The Supreme Court said the agency could meet a special court that violates the terms and conditions of bail by producing materials against the defendant.

“So, at this stage, we refuse to freely entertain the petitioner’s special leave petition to relocate the Special Court/High Court to cancel the bail.

“We clearly show that when bail is filed, the Special Court or the High Court should not be affected by the fact that this Court refuses to entertain the current special leave petition,” the bench said.

During the hearing, additional Deputy Attorney General Raja Thakare appeared in Niya, demanding the cancellation of the bail and filed a breach of the bail conditions and contacted the witness.

The Kerala High Court released bail on 25 June 2024 on 17 alleged PFI members who were also facing trial for alleged inciting community violence in the state and other parts of the country.

The High Court granted bail to 17 of the 26 defendants, imposing strict conditions, including sharing mobile phone numbers and real-time GPS locations with investigators.

Apart from that, the defendant was ordered not to leave Kerala, to waive passport and to keep his cell phone charged and active all-weather.

It directed 17 “special courts that amplify it under conditions that the special court may consider necessary to amplify it.”

Initially, 51 people were charged with the April 16, 2022 murder of Srinivasan. One of the people believed to be retained died while seven others absconded.

The charging table for the remaining personnel is divided into two stages in July and December 2022.

While investigating the murder, the centre received information that the office campaigners and cadres of India’s popular front and their branches in Kerala have conspired to incite public violence and radicalize its cadres who have committed terrorist acts in Kerala and elsewhere, noted by its order.

Therefore, in September 2022, the Center directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NIA) to file and investigate the case against the defendant.

On December 19, 2022, the Centre refers to the death of Srinivasan, who believes that the PFI leader has “serious national and international consequences” has incubated a larger conspiracy that requires a thorough investigation to uncover the broader conspiracy and identify other alleged conspiracies”.

The center directed the NIA to be investigated in the murder case, and the agency filed a merged charge form in 2023, and later had two additional fees.

After the respective NIA charges were filed in the special court, the defendant moved out of bail.