New Delhi [India]: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested one more person from Motihari in East Champaran district who is suspected to be the operatives of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), the agency said on Sunday.
The agency further said that the accused was arrested in a case relating to the banned outfit’s conspiracy to disturb peace and drive a communal wedge in the country.
The accused, Shahid Reza of Chakia area of East Champaran district of Bihar, was arrested on Saturday, taking the total arrests by NIA in the case to 16.
Shahid Reza was taken into custody by the NIA based on the disclosures made by another accused, Md Yaqub Khan alias Sultan alias Usman, during its investigations.
The agency searched Shahid’s house and also seized one Pistol, ammunition, an Air-Pistol, one sword and two knives. These weapons etc were given to Shahid by Md Yaqub Khan to keep in safe custody, NIA investigations have revealed.
NIA has been carrying out extensive investigations in the case relating to unlawful and anti-national activities of members of PFI.
It had earlier arrested 15 accused in the instant case and 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.
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 or accused persons in this case for carrying out of violent terror acts.
Investigations by the agency have also 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’.
On January 7, the NIA had chargesheeted four accused, followed by a supplementary chargesheet against four more accused on August 3.
The supplementary chargesheet was filed in the NIA Special Court, Patna, Bihar, against 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 case was initially registered July 12 in 2022 at Phulwarisharif police station, district Patna, Bihar. It was re-registered by NIA on July 22 in 2022.
