4 charged by NIA in Bihar PFI module case for organising arms, planning violent acts

They have been charged under various sections of IPC, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and Arms Act, 1959.

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday said that it has filed a charge sheet against four people accused of operating and planning violent criminal acts by arranging arms and ammunition as well as propagating ideology and agenda of violent extremism in connection with the Bihar Popular Front of India (PFI) module case.

According to an anti-terror probe agency spokesperson, the NIA filed the supplementary charge sheet on Thursday against Mohammad Tanweer, Mohammad Aabid, Mohammad Belal and Mohammad Irshad Alam, all residents of East Champaran district.

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The official said that as per NIA investigations, Alam is a member of the criminal syndicate which was involved, along with other PFI cadres, in a criminal conspiracy related to attack and kill a youth belonging to a particular community, with the intention to spread terror and communal hatred.

Meanwhile, Tanweer and Abid already had terror hardware for carrying out the hate crime and had handed over the same to another arrested accused Yaqub Khan, who is a PFI master trainer of weapons and tactics and had conducted multiple arms training sessions for furthering the banned outfit’s violent and unlawful activities, the official added.

They have been charged under various sections of IPC, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and Arms Act, 1959.

A total of 15 accused, including the four chargesheeted, have been arrested for promoting the unlawful activities of PFI and channelising illegal funds from abroad to the banned outfit’s members or accused persons in this case.

The case was initially registered by the Bihar Police on July 12 last year at Phulwarisharif police station in Patna against 26 persons.

The NIA had taken over the probe on July 22 this year.

On January 7, the NIA had filed a charge sheet against four persons in the case.