SIT raids several places in Bihar, UP to nab 22 remaining PFI accused

The raids come close to the heels after police on June 13 had revealed that three PFI members, including a retired Jharkhand police sub-inspector, were arrested from Patna’s Phulwarisharif area on June 10.

PATNA: In their quest to arrest the 22 remaining accused members of the Popular Front of India (PFI), a special investigation team (SIT) conducted raids at several places in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh on Saturday and Sunday, police said.

Two out of three PFI members in police custody. (HT Photo)

The raids come close to the heels after police on June 13 had revealed that three PFI members, including a retired Jharkhand police sub-inspector, were arrested from Patna’s Phulwarisharif area on June 10.

According to police sources, the SIT raided various places such as Mohtihari, Madhubani, Araria, Saran, Muzzafarpur, Darbhanga, and some parts of Uttar Pradesh to arrest the remaining 22 accused who are allegedly involved in trying to create religious disharmony among Muslim youth.

“Police raided Motihari in a bid to arrest two PFI members, identified as Mohammad Riyaz alias Babloo and Mohammad Usman. The police have also found a video clip in which they were seen giving training to Muslim youths, aged between 20 years to 30 years,” the sources said.

Police said that during the investigation, it came to light that Mohammad Riyaz was entrusted with documentation of various works. “He was a national-level active member of the PFI. He had played an important role in extending PFI in Motihari,” police said.

Police further said that raids were in Darbhanga on Saturday to nab the general secretary of PFI, identified as Mohammad Sanaullah, after a video of him celebrating the foundation day of PFI in 2021 surfaced. “Raids were conducted at his hideouts but we were unable to trace him,” said a police official.

Raids were also conducted in Nalanda to arrest one Mohammad Samim Akhtar, but he too was missing, police said. “Several cases were lodged against Samim in Nalanda, Katihar, and other districts,” the officer said.

Meanwhile, the police interrogated Mohammad Athar Parvez and Mohammad Jalaluddin after they were sent to two days of police custody.

“Since they are in judicial custody so we cannot share what they revealed during interrogation. Raids are going on to arrest the rest of the accused,” said MS Dhillon, Patna’s senior superintendent of police (SSP).

The SIT is also planning to get police custody of Mohammad Nuruddin Jangi, an advocate, who was arrested in Lucknow on Saturday. “In the course of the investigation, it came to know that he was appearing on behalf of PFI at various courts in Bihar and New Delhi,” police said.