PFI Pulwarisharif case: NIA arrests key accused at IGI airport

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Mohammad Sajjad Alam, a key accused in the Popular Front of India (PFI) Phulwarisharif case, from Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, soon after he arrived from Dubai.

Alam, a resident of East Champaran district in Bihar, was arrested by an NIA team as he disembarked from his flight on Saturday.

The NIA Special Court in Patna had issued an arrest warrant against Alam, a trained cadre of the banned PFI. Additionally, a Look Out Circular had been issued against him to prevent his escape.

According to NIA investigations, Alam was involved in channelling illegal funds from Dubai to PFI members in Bihar. The illicit funding operation was reportedly conducted through a syndicate based in the UAE, Karnataka, and Kerala.

The funds were allegedly used to support the PFI's unlawful and criminal activities in India.

The arrest marks a significant development in the ongoing probe into the Phulwarisharif case, where the NIA has been investigating alleged conspiracies and financial networks tied to the banned outfit's operations in Bihar and other parts of the country.

The case, initially registered by Phulwarisharif Police in July 2022, pertains to the involvement of PFI members in unlawful and anti-national activities.

The investigation revealed that PFI members had conspired to create an atmosphere of terror and incite religious enmity between different communities. Their actions, intended to disrupt public tranquillity and spread disaffection against India, allegedly aimed to advance the PFI's ideological agenda of establishing Islamic rule in the country.

The NIA's probe uncovered the existence of a document titled 'India 2047: Towards Rule of Islam in India, Internal Document: Not for Circulation'. This vision document allegedly outlined the PFI's strategy to achieve its ideological goals through activities detrimental to national peace and harmony.

Investigators allege that these activities included the use of criminal force to propagate the PFI ideology.

The NIA took over the investigation shortly after the case was registered in 2022.

Earlier, 17 individuals have been arrested and charge-sheeted in connection with the case, including key figures alleged to be involved in channelling illegal funds and orchestrating conspiracies to further the PFI's objectives.

The arrest of Alam marks another significant development in the ongoing investigation. The NIA continues its efforts to dismantle the network and activities of the banned organisation in India.