The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted searches at 16 locations in Bihar, Goa, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab as part of its investigation against a suspected module of the banned Islamist organisation PFI in Bihar’s Phulwari Sharif, officials said.
A spokesperson for the federal anti-terror agency said, “A hoard of digital devices, along with bank transaction details, were seized during the searches conducted at the premises of PFI suspects…incriminating documents related to PFI and Indian currency of the face value of Rs 1 lakh were also seized.” Locations in Siwan, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Katihar, Araria, Purnea and East Champaran districts of Bihar, South Goa district of Goa, Rampur and Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh and Ludhiana in Punjab were searched by the NIA officials.
A total of 13 persons were arrested in this case in July last year and the investigation relates to the training of the Popular Front of India (PFI) cadre in Phulwari Sharif in Bihar. The NIA filed a charge sheet in this case in January against four accused, the spokesperson said.
“The accused, along with other suspects, were operating from rented premises in Phulwari Sharif for carrying out criminal activities on behalf of the PFI. They had also worked as physical education trainers for the recruited cadres of PFI.” “It is also suspected that even after the ban on the Popular Front of India by the government (in September, 2022), its cadres continued to be involved in promoting the outfit’s ideology and its nefarious, unlawful and anti-national activities,” the NIA alleged.
In Bihar, one of the raids took place in Muzaffarpur where an NIA team, assisted by the local police, raided the house of one Mohammad Saquib in Ankhauli village of Katra block.
Saquib’s father, Neyaz Ahmed, told reporters, “They had come to enquire about my son. We told them that we have had no contact with him for about a year. They also obtained the mobile number of my son, who is aged 30 years. They tried to call his number but got no response. They took away two of his bank passbooks that were kept at home, along with some other documents,” Ahmed said.
In the adjoining East Champaran district, where suspected PFI operative Irshad was arrested last month, the agency team raided the house of one Sajjad Ansari in Kunava village of Chakia sub-division.
Sajjad’s brother Saddam, who ekes out a living in Dubai and was at home on vacation, told reporters, “The team came to our home around 5 am. Sajjad was not around and no incriminating material was found during the search operation. They took away my brother’s ID.” In Darbhanga district, raids were conducted at two places, including the house of a local dentist.
Searches at the house of Dr Shariq Raza in the Urdu Bazar locality of Laheria Sarai began at 4 am and continued for several hours.
In Shankarpur village of Singhvada police station area, an NIA team raided the house of one Mohammad Mahboob, a local politician who is in his forties. Notably, the houses of two other suspected PFI operatives, Mohammad Mustaqim and Mohammad Sanaullah, had been raided by the agency in the past.
According to police sources, Mahboob was not at his home at the time of the raid and the NIA sleuths were interrogating his mother, who is said to be mentally unstable, and two brothers.
Darbhanga is also home to another suspected PFI operative, Nuruddin Jangi, a resident of Urdu Mohalla in the Town police station area, who was arrested from Lucknow in July last year.
In Madhubani district, the NIA raided the house of Mohammad Shahabuddin in Barhara village under Mishraulia panchayat of Babubarhi police station.
Shahabuddin, who is in his mid-twenties, was not found at home, and the NIA team interrogated his ailing mother Shakila Khatoon, younger brother Kalimuddin, sister Shahnaz Khatun and sister-in-law Anjum Parveen.
Raids also took place at the houses of Mohammad Nazeem in Rajbara village and Mohammad Hassan in Chaanpi village.
The NIA said the investigation in the case is continuing “to expose the links between the 13 arrested accused and the 16 persons linked to the premises involved in today’s searches.”
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