The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed a supplementary chargesheet against four persons in connection with a case alleging commission of unlawful and anti-national acts by the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in Bihar’s Patna.
The fresh chargesheet has been filed against Mohammed Tanweer, Mohammed Aabid, Mohammed Belal and Mohammed Irshad Alam, all residents of East Champaran in Bihar. The four alleged PFI members had been working in conspiracy with the other co-accused to commit violent criminal acts by arranging arms and ammunition and in propagating the PFI’s ideology of “violent extremism”, the agency said.
Several provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act have been invoked against those arraigned. The agency has so far arrested 15 accused in the case. It is also alleged that illegal funds were channelised from abroad to the PFI members.
The NIA has alleged that Irshad Alam was part of the group that had conspired to kill a youth belonging to a particular community “with the intention to spread terror and communal hatred”. Mr. Tanweer and Mr. Aabid had allegedly provided the weapons to another arrested accused, Yaqub Khan, who conducted arms training sessions for the recruits.
The case was initially registered against 26 persons by the Phulwarisharif police of Bihar. It was taken over on July 22 last year by the NIA, which filed the first chargesheet against four persons in January.
