PATNA: Popular Front of India (PFI), which was banned by the Union government last year for hatching a conspiracy to spread communal hatred, has allegedly started recruitment of youths in Bihar's East Champaran and Muzaffarpur districts.
A few PFI activists, who were arrested during a 36-hour-long operation in East Champaran and Muzaffarpur districts, confessed before the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which subsequently lodged an FIR at Baruraj police station in Muzaffarpur on Tuesday.
Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rakesh Kumar said that a case has been registered at Baruraj police station on the basis of revelations made by PFI activists, who disclosed that a training camp was being held at Parsauni village for quite some time.
Altogether eight PFI suspects have been detained for interrogation in this connection.
“The recruitment is being done in the districts close to the India-Nepal border,” a senior police officer said, adding that Bihar ATS has also been roped in to assist NIA in the ongoing investigation.
Meanwhile, Parsauni village in Muzaffarpur district has acquired the dubious distinction of being a safe haven for activists of the banned outfit.
Parsauni falls under the Baruraj police station area in Muzaffarpur, which shares its border with the East Champaran district in north Bihar.
Irshad alias Bilal, who was arrested from East Champaran district on Sunday, told interrogators that he actively participated in training sessions organised at Parsauni village at the behest of two trainers—Yakoob alias Sultan Usman and Riyaz Maroof. Yakoob, who has been assigned the task to impart training of weapons to new recruits under the garb of physical education training, is evading arrest even after intensive raids at different hideouts under Mehasi and Chakia areas of East Champaran.
During interrogation, he confessed that he had attended physical education training held at Ahmad Palace in the Phulwarisharif locality of the state capital.
PFI used to carry out its operation across Bihar from Ahmad Palace before raiding by Patna police and NIA.
A printed PFI banner and two iron swords were recovered from Parsauni village in Muzaffarpur on basis of a revelation made by Irshad. A few other incriminating documents were also seized during raids conducted on Friday.
A senior officer, who was part of the raiding team, said that Tanveer Raza alias Barkati and Mohammad Abid alias Aryan were arrested from Bahadurpur under Mehsi police station in East Champaran. The multi-digital device was recovered from their hideouts.
The officer on condition of anonymity revealed that the duo confessed to having arranged weapons and other material for PFI's plan to carry out targeted killings in Bihar on the pattern of J&K to spread hatred and enmity in society. The two PFI activists disclosed that locations were identified and recce conducted for targeted killings in the state.
“We had already supplied weapons and ammunition to trainer Yakoob for the purpose,” the officer quoted the two PFI activists as saying. Altogether four persons associated with PFI, including a retired police officer of Jharkhand police, were arrested last year from Patna's Phulwarisharif locality on suspicion of carrying out PFI's unlawful activities.
On July 12, 2022, a case was registered at Phulwarisharif police station. The later investigation was handed over to NIA, which conducted raids in different districts of Bihar and arrested PFI cadres. NIA sleuths swung into action again when Yakoob posted a derogatory remark on social media recently.