India News | Two Arrested in Bihar for PFI Connection

Patna, Feb 5 (PTI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA), in association with the Bihar Police, arrested two persons in Motihari on Sunday on the suspicion that they have harboured connections with the recently banned Popular Front of India (PFI).

The two have been identified as Tanveer Raza and Md Abid, both residents of East Champaran district.

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Sleuths of the agency recovered multiple digital devices during searches in Motihari.

According to a statement issued by the NIA, "With these arrests, a PFI module planning targeted killing and disruption of communal harmony has been unearthed and busted.

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"After conducting searches at eight locations to disrupt a conspiracy hatched by PFI cadres to carry out targeted killings in East Champaran district in Bihar on Saturday, NIA arrested two accused on Sunday, who had arranged weapons and ammunition to carry out the killing."

The statement also said that recce had been conducted to execute a target.

"The arms and ammunition had been handed over to PFI Trainer, Yakoob, who had been conducting Training Sessions for PFI cadres," it maintained.

Yakoob, the suspected PFI trainer, had posted a derogatory and inflammatory Facebook video, "which was aimed at disturbing peace and communal harmony", said the statement.

“Other users of FB had commented and trolled this post abusively. The absconding accused Yakoob and two arrested had identified some of them (trolls) and conspired to execute the killing of targeted persons," it said.

On Saturday, too, a joint team of NIA and Bihar Police had arrested three suspected PFI cadres, ADG (headquarters) J S Gangwar had said.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), via a notification in September, 2022, banned the PFI and its associates for five years for their links to terrorist groups and subversive activities.

The ban was recommended by the state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat, the Centre had stated in the notification.

Explaining the reasons for the ban, the MHA notification had said PFI and its allies have been indulging in unlawful activities prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country.

Notably, the NIA had arrested around 350 people belonging to PFI from different parts of the country last year.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)