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NIA detained the accused for carrying out recruitment of youth into their fold and providing training sessions to further the activities of the organization.
National Investigative Agency (NIA) on Wednesday detained five activists of banned organization Popular Front of India (PFI) in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, on suspicion of carrying out recruitment of youth into their fold and providing training sessions to further the activities of the organization. The government banned PFI for five years for allegedly having links with terror groups in September 2021.
An FIR was lodged at Baruraj police station in the district against the accused on the basis of a statement by National Investigation Agency (NIA). A case has been registered against Mohmmad Bilal alias Irshad, a resident of Harpur Kisuni in East Champaran, Riyaz Maroof alias Bablu, a resident of Kuawan in Mehsi area in East Champaran, Yakoob Khan alias Sultan Usman, a resident of Moghalpura in Mehsi area in East Champaran, Mohammad Afroz, a resident of Kasba village and Qadir Ansari, resident of Parsauni in Muzaffarpur district.
The FIR stated, “They were hatching a criminal conspiracy to disrupt communal harmony and also to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India. To execute such acts, they were recruiting new members to strengthen the proscribed organization PFI and also provided training with intention to further the activity of PFI, a proscribed terrorist organization.”
On Sunday, NIA arrested Bilal from East Champaran district who admitted to holding training camps in Parsauni village. During interrogation, Bilal revealed that he came in contact with Riyaz Maroof around five years back who was an active member of PFI. Later, Riyaz brought him in touch with Yakoob Khan, a resident of Moghalpura in Mehsi, who influenced him to join PFI in 2020.
Sources said that Bilal attended rallies organized by PFI in Chakiya, East Champaran and Darbhanga district of Bihar where the PFI associates remain active. He admitted that Riyaz Maroof instructed him to carry out organizational activities ‘secretly’ after the government banned the organization. Sources revealed that the group held secret meetings to discuss the organization’s affairs at a secret place in Parsauni, Muzaffarpur.
Yakoob was in-charge of recruiting news cadres into the fold of PFI. He used to organize rallies ahead of the training camp to lure youth. A video of him conducting training camps also surfaced a couple of days back. Since then, NIA had been making efforts to nab the suspects and curb their operation.
A joint team of NIA and Bihar police conducted a raid on Friday last week, based on the disclosures made by Bilal, in the Baruraj area at the residence of Muhammad Qadir Ansari, who’s a relative of his. During the raid, NIA seized incriminating materials- a printed PFI banner, and two 30-inch long swords.
