Tightening its noose around the unlawful and anti-national activities of the Popular Front of India (PFI), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted raids across six states against the suspects linked to the banned outfit in connection with Bihar’s Phulwari Sharif case.
The searches are underway since morning at over a dozen locations in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Delhi-NCR based on inputs aginst suspects.
In the raids, the NIA also seized several incriminating articles and documents relating to the radical organisation which was raising a PFI Army by radicalization and indoctrination of youth through false and communal narratives, at the behest of anti-national forces operating from across the border, to wage a war against the country.
Investigations by the agency have exposed the sinister agenda of the PFI, which had been engaged in organizing Arms and Terror Training Camps to train the radicalized youth in use of weapons, swords and iron rods to wreak terror and vengeance on their ‘enemies’.
“The accused had been promoting the unlawful and violent agenda and activities of the PFI and channelising illegal funds from abroad to the PFI members and accused persons in this case for carrying out of violent terror acts,” said the NIA.
The case pertains to involvement of accused and suspected persons, associated with the PFI in unlawful and anti-national activities, who had assembled in Phulwari Sharif area of Patna in Bihar. Two persons were apprehended and several incriminating articles and documents related to PFI were also seized.
Initially, the case was initially registered on July 12, 2022 at Phulwari Sharif Police Station in Bihar’s Patna district. The NIA took over the case and re-registered a First Information Report on July 22, 2022.
During investigations, accused persons Athar Parvej, Md Jalaluddin Khan, Nooruddin Zangi alias advocate Nooruddin and Arman Malick alias Imteyaz Anwer were arrested for their involvement in the instant case.
NIA investigations revealed that the criminal conspiracy was hatched with an intention to carry out acts of terror and violence, leading to an atmosphere of terror and endangering the unity and integrity of the nation.
In furtherance of their conspiracy, the NIA said, the accused arranged rented accommodation in Ahmad Palace in Phulwari Sharif and used its premises for imparting training in commission of acts of violence, and holding criminal conspiracy meetings.
“The accused also collected funds, recruited members, organized trainings and encouraged its members to establish Islamic Rule in India,” the anti-terror agency said.
On January 7 this year, the NIA had also filed charge-sheet against the four arrested accused in a special court in Patna under sections 121, 121A, 122, 153A and 153B of Indian Penal Code (IPC), and sections 13, 17, 18, 18A, 18B and 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Later, the NIA filed a supplementary chargesheet against four more accused on August 3 this year. The supplementary chargesheet was also filed in the NIA Special Court, Patna against Md Tanweer alias Md Tanweer, Md Aabid, Md Belal and Md Irshad Alam, who were engaged in propagating the ideology of the banned outfit and in planning criminal acts by arranging arms and ammunition.
The federal agency has so far arrested 16 accused in the case. In August this year, the NIA had arrested 16th accused, identified as Shahid Reza of Chakia area of East Champaran district of Bihar, in the case.
In September last year, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banned the PFI and its associate organisation for a period of five years, notifying them as an “unlawful association” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. (ANI)
