Bengaluru: A special court for NIA cases on Tuesday dismissed a discharge application filed by an accused in RSS worker Rudresh’s murder case.

Special judge Siddalinga Prabhu rejected the application filed by Asim Sharif (accused No. 5) and even dismissed oral discharge requests made on behalf of the other accused. Earlier, counsel for the accused claimed that the act alleged (murder) does not call for invoking of provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, and the action by the authorities is politically motivated.

However, P Prasanna Kumar, special public prosecutor, argued that provisions of section 15 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 clearly explain what constitutes a terror act and it includes murder as well.

Waseem Ahmed, Mujeeb, Sadiq, Irfan Pasha and Popular Front of India local leader Asim Sharif were arrested in November 2016 for their role in the brutal hacking of Rudresh in Shivajinagar.