Phulwari Sharif case: NIA begins probe, likely to invoke UAPA in fresh FIR

The two cases registered with the Phulwari sSharif police station on July 12 and 14, NIA is probing both the cases while Bihar ATS, Patna police and other state agency are assisting the anti-terror agency

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) began its probe in connection with Bihar’s Phulwari Sharif terror module case, Bihar police chief said on Wednesday evening.

Police will hand over all the files and share details of the cases with NIA. (File image)

Sanjiv Kumar Singhal, Director general of police (DGP), said NIA started its probe in which Patna police lodged two separate cases.

“The two cases registered with the Phulwari Sharif police station on July 12 and 14, NIA is probing both the cases while Bihar ATS, Patna police and other state agency are assisting the anti-terror agency,” said Singhal.

Officials familiar with the matter told HT that the anti-terror agency took over the investigations and will re-register the case after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) ordered to probe the cross–border linkages and international ramifications.

Police will hand over all the files and share details of the cases with NIA.

The agency is likely to register a fresh FIR and invoke various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the accused persons and is on the lookout for other suspects.

Patna police had arrested a sleeper cell member Magroob Ahmad Danish alias Iliyas Tahir, who allegedly had links with Pakistan-based radical outfit Tehreek-e-Labbaik.

Danish was running two WhatsApp groups namely ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ and ‘Direct Jihad 2023’ that had members from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Yemen.

Police have so far arrested four people in Phulwari Sharif terror module case – a retired Jharkhand police sub-inspector Mohammad Jallauddin, former member of banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India Mohammad Athar Parvez, Arman Mallik and PFI-member-cum-lawyer Nurrudin Jangi.

Earlier on Tuesday, NIA’s IG, Ashish Batra held a meeting with ADG (ATS) Ravindran Shankaran and other officials regarding the arrested persons having alleged links with Popular Front of India (PFI).

The ATS team also shared the details of the interrogation of all the five suspects arrested in separate cases for their alleged involvement in anti-India activities.