Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka on Friday allowed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to continue the probe into the murder of Rudresh, a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice P.S. Dinesh Kumar passed the interim order on an appeal by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) questioning the legality of the March 21 single judge verdict setting aside the MHA’s December 7, 2016 order of handing over the probe to the NIA from the Commercial Street Police Station in Bengaluru.

However, the Bench made it clear that the permission granted to the NIA would be subject to the final outcome of the appeal filed by the MHA. The Bench also ordered issue of notices to the State government and the NIA.

Rudresh was murdered by two motorcycle-borne persons on October 16, 2016. The probe has revealed that some of the suspects had links with banned terror groups, including Indian Mujahideen, and were specially trained to kill a person in one blow by cutting the carotid artery on the neck.