Highlights
- PFI "terror module" case was recently unearthed by Bihar Police
- Raids were conducted a week after NIA started a thorough probe into the case
- Heavy security personnel have been deployed in the area
Bihar terror module: National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids on Thursday morning at multiple locations in Bihar including the Nalanda district in connection with the Phulwari Sharif case having links with extremist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI).
The raids were conducted almost a week after the NIA registered a case and started a thorough probe into the case. The places where these raids are carried ou belonged to people associated with the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). Many people have been taken into custody so far. Heavy security personnel have been deployed in the area.
Case so far
The NIA registered the case on July 22 night under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act following an order issued by the Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directing the agency to take over the investigation from Bihar Police. The PFI "terror module" case was recently unearthed by Bihar Police with the arrest of three people for their alleged links with the group and their plans to indulge in "anti-India" activities.
The NIA on Wednesday carried out searches in Jamia Maria Niswa Madrasa located in Bihar's Purvi Champaran district and arrested a teacher identified as Asghar Ali. Mohammad Jalaluddin, a retired Jharkhand Police officer, and Athar Parvez were arrested on July 13 from the Phulwari Sharif area of Bihar's capital Patna while Nuruddin Jangi was arrested three days later from Lucknow by Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in the request of Bihar Police.
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Bihar Police have arrested five persons in the Phulwari Sharif case and have so far named 26 people. In the raids carried out by the Bihar police in Phulwari Sharif, many objectionable documents were recovered. One such document was titled 'Vision 2047 India' had documented ways to launch an armed attack on the Indian State by Indian Muslims aided by Islamic nations like Turkey. Various pamphlets of PFI were also recovered by the police.
These terrorists were being trained in Phulwari Sharif 15 days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Patna. They held meetings on July 6-7 and had used communally inciting speeches. Earlier, similar arrests were made in Telangana's Nizamabad where PFI had organised a similar radicalization camp to recruit and train Muslims in arms. The case has drawn wide attention in Bihar. The Enforcement Directorate has also launched a money laundering probe against PFI into the case.
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