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NIA raids PFI leaders in Andhra, Telangana
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday continued raids on the residences and offices of Popular Front of India (PFI) in several parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as part of nationwide crackdown on the group for its alleged terror links.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday continued raids on the residences and offices of Popular Front of India (PFI) in several parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as part of nationwide crackdown on the group for its alleged terror links.
Since early morning, several teams of the NIA conducted simultaneous raids on residences of suspected PFI activists at Chandrayangutta, Uppal and Ghatkesar areas on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
A senior police official familiar with the development said the NIA teams, supported by local police, raided the premises of the PFI Telangana headquarters at Chandrayangutta early in the morning.
“After conducting the searches, the NIA team seized some electronic gadgets and flags from the office and later sealed the office building,” a police official said.
The NIA teams also raided eight other places in Telangana’s Karimnagar, Adilabad and Nizamabad districts. Similar raids are being conducted in the Autonagar area of Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district and also in Kurnool.
“Searches were also conducted in some religious institutions suspected to have given shelter to the PFI activists,” a police source said.
On Sunday last, the NIA carried out multiple raids on the residences of the PFI activists in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in connection with the alleged terror links and detained four persons.
About two dozen teams of the NIA conducted searches at 38 locations – 23 in Nizamabad, four in Hyderabad, seven in Jagitial, two in Nirmal and one each in Adilabad and Karimnagar districts, besides two locations in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool and Nellore districts.
The raids followed the arrest of four PFI activists – Abdul Kader, Sheikh Sahadulla, Md Imran and Md Abdul Mobin, by the Telangana police on July 6, following a case registered on July 4 for their suspected terror links. The case was later handed over to the NIA, which registered a fresh case on August 26.
“On Sunday, the NIA conducted searches on the suspected PFI members in the case, including Abdul Khader and 26 other persons,” an NIA statement said.
The NIA charged the accused with conspiring to wage a war against the Central government apart from recruiting the members for the PFI and organising camps for imparting training to commit terrorists’ acts.
They also formed an unlawful assembly and promoted enmity between different groups on the basis of religion. They were also involved in activities disrupting sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, the NIA said.
During the searches, the NIA sleuths seized incriminating materials, including digital devices, documents, two daggers and cash of ₹8.31 lakh. “Four persons have been detained for questioning,” the NIA said, adding further investigations in the case were in progress.
On July 6, the Nizamabad police arrested four PFI activists on the charges of allegedly training Muslim young men in anti-national activities.
The accused were booked under Section 120-A (criminal conspiracy by two or more persons), 120-B (criminal conspiracy for serious offence), 153-A (promoting enmity between two different groups) and 141 (unlawful assembly), besides Section 13(1)(b) of Unlawful Activities (Preventions) Act, 1967.
Police said Abdul Qader, a Karate instructor, was engaged by the other three accused for providing training the gullible Muslim youth from the two Telugu states in various martial arts and usage of lethal weapons.
In the last three years, Qader gave training to more than 200 Muslim youth were given training in Karate, Kung Fu and usage of lethal weapons on the upper portion of his residence, the police commissioner said.
Interrogation of the arrested accused revealed that the PFI was trying to brainwash the local Muslim youth in Sharia law and Islamic fundamentalism and recruit them for anti-national activities.
The arrested also confessed that similar workshops regarding legal matters were being conducted along with physical training by PFI members in Nizamabad, Jagitial, Hyderabad, Nellore, Kurnool and Kadapa.
