NIA makes another arrest in Phulwari Sharif terror module case

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested another person for his alleged involvement in the Patna Phulwari Sharif terror module case involving the banned organisation Popular Front of India (PFI), an official said on Sunday.

The arrested individual has been identified as Shahid Reza, a resident of Chakia town in Bihar's East Champaran district. He was arrested on Saturday, taking the total arrests by NIA in the case to 16.

According to officials, the accused individuals had hatched a conspiracy to disturb the peace and communal harmony in the country.

Reza was taken into custody by the NIA based on the disclosures made by another accused, Mohd Yaqub Khan a.k.a. Sultan during his questioning.

The NIA also seized a pistol, ammunition, one sword and two knives from Reza's house following searches. The weapons were provided to Shahid by Yaqub Khan.

The NIA has been carrying out extensive investigations in the case relating to unlawful and anti-national activities of PFI.

It had earlier arrested 15 accused in the case and also seized several incriminating articles related to the banned organisation which was raising a "PFI Army" by "radicalisation and indoctrination of youth through false and communal narratives, at the behest of anti-national forces operating from across the border, to wage a war against the country".

The accused had been promoting the unlawful and violent agenda and activities of the PFI and channelising illegal funds from abroad to the PFI members/accused persons in this case for carrying out of violent terror acts.

Investigations by the agency have also exposed the sinister agenda of the PFI, which had been engaged in organising arms and terror training Camps to train radicalised youths in the use of weapons, swords and iron rods to wreak terror and vengeance on their 'enemies'.

On January 7 this year, the NIA had filed a chargesheet against four accused, followed by a supplementary chargesheet against four more accused on August 3.

The supplementary chargesheet was filed at the Special NIA Court against Mohd Tanweer, Mohd Aabid, Mohd Belal and Mohd Irshad Alam, who were engaged in propagating the ideology of PFI, and in planning criminal acts by arranging arms and ammunition.

The case was initially registered on July 12, 2022 at Phulwari Sharif police station in Patna. It was re-registered by NIA on July 22, 2022.