New Delhi | The National Investigation Agency has arrested a key member of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in connection with the killing of RSS leader Srinivasan in Kerala last year, an official said on Friday.

Shihab alias "Babu" had been on the run since the incident on April 16 last year, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.

The official said that the NIA's dedicated absconder tracking team successfully traced him to his residence in Kerala's Malappuram district and subsequently detained him.

"Investigations revealed that Shihab was an integral part of the terror ecosystem being operated by the PFI, which was responsible for orchestrating the murder of Srinivasan," the spokesperson said.

"It is believed that Shihab, acting in line with a conspiracy hatched by PFI leaders, harboured Muhammed Hakeem, who, at the behest of the PFI leadership, was responsible for the destruction of crucial evidence in the case," the official said.

On March 17, the NIA had filed a chargesheet against 59 people in the case. Subsequently, on May 16, the NIA's absconder tracking team achieved a significant milestone by tracking down and apprehending Saheer K V, who had been absconding for long.

So far, 69 individuals have been identified as being involved in the conspiracy, the spokesperson said.