In a major crackdown against the illegal Popular Front of India (PFI), a joint team of Bihar Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) along with Motihari police arrested a wanted accused of the banned outfit from Chakia of East Champaran district on July 19.
The development occurred when the joint team raided Uttar Gowandra village under Chakia police station of East Champaran on July 18, night and arrested Yakub Khan alias Sultan. Yakub, a resident of Imaad Patti village under Chakia police station, allegedly indulged in providing physical training to the radicalised cadres of the outlawed outfit for which he was also being hunted by the National Investigative Agency (NIA).
While taking it to Twitter, the Bihar police, on July 19, informed that the Bihar ATS, along with the district police, had arrested a wanted accused, Yakub, from Chakia of Motihari; the accused is being handed over to the NIA for further legal proceedings. Earlier, the Bihar ATS had also arrested Irshad Alam and Mumtaz Ansari from different locations in Motihari.
#BiharPolice द्वारा दिनांक 19.07.2023 को आतंकवाद निरोधक दस्ता (ATS), बिहार पटना एंव मोतिहारी पुलिस के सयुंक्त कारवाई में NIA कांड में वांछित अभियुक्त याकूब खान उर्फ सुलतान उर्फ उस्मान, पिता मो0 अयुब खान, साकिन इमादपत्ती थाना- चकिया जिला मोतिहारी को
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.#HainTaiyaarHum pic.twitter.com/GA0IvM92sw— Bihar Police (@bihar_police) July 19, 2023
Let us tell you that Yakub’s name first surfaced after the Patna police busted a terror module being operated by the PFI in Phulwari Sharif of Patna in June last year, following which the security agencies hunted him. It was then reported that Yakub was involved in running armed training camps for the PFI cadres in Chakia.
As per the NIA, Yakub had also organised a seven-day training camp for the PFI cadres in Gandhi Maidan of Patna in 2021. A video pertaining to the training of the PFI cadres in Gandhi Maidan had also gone viral on the internet. Yakub also posted a video on the internet about when Shaligram rocks were being taken to Ayodhya in January this year. In the viral video, Yakub can be heard threatening the Hindus and claiming that the Babri Masjid will soon be built again in Ayodhya.
It is to be noted that the Chakia and Mehsi regions of Motihari have been on the radar of Investigative agencies since unearthing the PFI terror module in the State. So far, a total of 5 accused have already been nabbed by the security agencies from the region. Earlier, the central investigative agency had also arrested Mohammad Bilal alias Irshad, Mohammad Tanvir and Mohammad Abid from different locations in Motihari.
Following the arrest of the accused, the NIA had claimed that the PFI cadres in the State had vowed to continue activities of the banned outfit in a covert manner and had also arranged firearms and ammunition to target youths from a particular community in Bihar’s East Champaran.
The central Investigative agency had also claimed that a recce for the targeted killing had already been conducted, and the arms and ammunition had been handed over to Yakub.
It is to be noted that the Bihar police busted the Phulwarisharif terror module being operated by PFI in June last year, following which the NIA re-registered the case in July 2022 and started the investigation. During the course of the investigation, the NIA revealed that the accused rented accommodation in Ahmad Palace, Phulwarisharif and used its premises for imparting training in the commission of acts of violence and holding criminal conspiracy meetings. The agency further alleged that the accused collected funds, recruited members, organised training and encouraged its members to establish Islamic Rule in India.
