NIA arrests 7th accused in Bihar's Phulwarisharif PFI case
Feb 06, 2023
New Delhi [India], February 6 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested the 7th accused in Bihar's Phulwarisharif Popular Front of India (PFI) case.
Identified as Irshad, the accused was actively involved in PFI's criminal conspiracy to spread communal hatred and enmity.
Continuing its crackdown on PFI activists who had conspired to carry out targeted killings in Bihar's East Champaran district, the NIA achieved success with the arrest of the accused on late Sunday from Jitaura village in Motihari district.
A resident of Harpur Kahuni in East Champaran, Irshad had attended training classes held under the garb of Physical Education at Ahmad Palace, Phulwarisharif, Patna, said the anti-terror agency.
The accused was also associated with PFI's Training Centres and activities.
"A printed PFI banner and two iron swords have been recovered at Irshad's instance from a hideout in Parsauni village in Muzaffarpur district."
The NIA had arrested four persons earlier, in this case, pertaining to PFI's unlawful and violent activities, undertaken in the wake of their gathering in Phulwarisharif area of Patna last year.
The case was initially registered on July 12 this year at Phulwarisharif and re-registered 10 days later by the NIA, which took over the investigations.
One person, identified as Yakoob, is still absconding. He had recently posted a derogatory and inflammatory Facebook video post, aimed at disturbing the peace and communal harmony. Many FB users had commented and trolled his post abusively.
Earlier on Sunday, NIA had carried out extensive searches in the Motihari district of Bihar and arrested two people.
Raids, which were conducted at eight locations, led to the arrest of Tanveer Raza alias Barkati and Md Abid alias Aryan, both residents of Bahadurpur, Mehsi, East Champaran.
Multiple digital devices were seized during the searches.
"Investigations have further revealed that the duo had arranged weapons and ammunition to carry out PFI's plan of targeted killings, for which the targets had been identified and recces had been conducted," said the NIA.
"They had handed over the arms and ammunition to a PFI trainer, Yakoob, who had been conducting training sessions for PFI cadres."
With the arrest of Irshad, a total of seven arrests has taken place in this case, said the NIA, adding "more arrests are in the offing, as further investigations continue."
