Tightening its noose around the Popular Front of India (PFI), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday said that it has arrested one more accused Mohammad Sohail, who was found to have been actively involved in PFI’s criminal conspiracy to disturb peace and spread communal hatred and enmity.
The fresh arrest comes in the backdrop of the NIA’s continued operations against PFI activist cadres involved in conspiracies to commit violent and unlawful acts or activities.
Sohail, a permanent resident of Udaipur district along with PFI cadres and members conspired to radicalize Muslim youth to commit violent and unlawful activities.
Earlier, NIA had arrested two accused namely Sadiq Sarraf and accused Mohammed Asif in the case. The anti-terror probe agency had registered a case on September 19 last year.
With Sohail’s arrest the total arrest in Rajasthan PFI is three.
In last few months, NIA had cracked down on PFI in several states and carried out searches at multiple locations and arrested several office bearers and activists and cadres of the organisation.
This come within days of five activists being detained 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.”