According to officials on February 4, National Investigation Agency (NIA )detained three suspected activists of the proscribed Popular Front of India (PFI) in Bihar’s Motihari.
Police said the three persons were apprehended by a joint team of NIA Patna and Ranchi along with Motihari police from the Chakia Police Station in Motihari in Bihar’s East Champaran district. The reason behind the arrest is yet to be ascertained, with officials stating that those apprehended will be interrogated.
Motihari police said in a statement that, “Three PFI suspects have been picked up by NIA with the active help of Motihari police today morning from the Chakia subdivision area and detained for joint interrogation by Bihar police and central agencies. Further updates will follow”.
The NIA’s investigation into this case is in progress. Further information is underway.
NIA, in early January, filed a chargesheet against four accused in the Bihar PFI case, pointing out that “criminal conspiracy was hatched with an intention to carry out acts of terror and violence, leading to an atmosphere of terror and endangering the unity and integrity of the nation”.
The anti-terror organisation submitted the chargesheet in Patna, the seat of Bihar’s Government.
The accused persons, namely Athar Parvej, Md Jalaluddin Khan, Nooruddin Zangi alias Advocate Nooruddin and Arman Malick alias Md Imteyaz Anwer were charge sheeted under sections 121, 121A, 122, 153A and 153B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 13, 17, 18, 18A, 18B and 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. All the accused are residents of different districts in Bihar.
The case pertains to the involvement of the accused and suspected persons associated with the PFI in unlawful and anti-national activities, who had assembled in the Phulwari Sharif area of Patna.
The case was initially registered on July 12 last year at Phulwarisharif police station in Patna and re-registered by the NIA on July 22 last year.
During investigations, accused persons Athar Parvej, Md Jalaluddin Khan, Nooruddin Zangi and Arman Malick were arrested for their involvement in the instant case.
NIA said in the chargesheet that “Investigations revealed that the criminal conspiracy was hatched with an intention to carry out acts of terror and violence, leading to an atmosphere of terror and endangering the unity and integrity of the nation “.
