PATNA: Bihar’s anti-terrorism squad (ATS) on Monday announced that Mumtaz Ansari, a prime accused in Phulwari Sharif terror module of Popular Front of India (PFI), was arrested from Tamil Nadu and subsequently handed over to National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Mumtaz Ansari, a resident of Harpur Nag village under Mehsi police station in Bihar’s East Champaran district, had gone underground ever since a case was registered against him with Phulwari Sharif police station in Patna on July 12, 2022, for carrying out ‘anti-India activities’.
Additional director general of police, headquarters, Jitendra Singh Gangwar said on Monday that a team of Bihar ATS was camping in Tamil Nadu for the last 10 days and looking for Ansari’s hideouts based on a tip-off that Ansari was working in a private firm at Kannigaipair village in Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu.
Subsequently, ATS personnel with the help of Tamil Nadu police took him into custody. He was then handed over to NIA after initial interrogation. ADGP Gangwar said, “Since the Phulwari Sharif PFI terror module case is being probed by NIA, we handed over the accused to them.”
During the police investigation, it came to light that Ansari is a non-matriculate and no criminal case was pending against him in any police station in Bihar. “We are looking into this aspect,” ADGP Gangwar told media persons. Ansari’s associate and co-resident Irshad Alam was arrested from Phulwari Sharif on March 17 this year. He was also handed over to NIA. Earlier, 14 people were arrested by NIA in relation to the case and all of them were remanded in judicial custody after interrogation.