Bihar: 2 PFI members arrested for conspiring to carry out targeted killings

Two members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) were arrested in a case related to a conspiracy by the banned group to carry out targeted killings in Bihar, a spokesperson of the NIA said on Sunday.

Tanveer Raza alias "Barkati" and Mohammad Abid alias "Aryan", both residents of Bahadurpur village, were arrested from Motihari in Bihar on Saturday following raids at eight locations, the spokesperson said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said the arrest duo had arranged weapons and ammunition to carry out targeted killings.

Earlier, four persons were arrested in the case and several incriminating articles and documents related to the PFI were seized.

 

"With these arrests, a PFI module planning targeted killings and disrupting communal harmony has been unearthed and busted," the spokesperson said.

The agency said the case was initially registered on July 12 last year at Police Station Phulwarisharif in Patna and re-registered by the NIA 10 days later.

"The raids and arrests were made in connection with the case which pertains to involvement of PFI and its leaders and cadres in violent and unlawful activities...(they) had assembled for that purpose in the Phulwarisharif area of Patna.

"A recce had already been conducted to execute a target. The arms and ammunition had been handed over to a PFI trainer, Yakoob, who had been conducting training sessions for PFI cadres," the spokesperson said.

He said Yakoob had posted a derogatory and inflammatory video on Facebook which was aimed at disturbing peace and communal harmony.

"Other users of Facebook had commented and trolled this post abusively. Yakoob and the two arrested accused had identified some of them and had conspired to execute the killing of targeted persons," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said Yakoob is absconding and efforts are on to arrest him.