Separate teams of NIA (National Investigation Agency), with assistance of local police, on Tuesday conducted searches in various locations in the state, including in Siwan, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Katihar and East Champaran districts, as part of its crackdown on Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) which was banned by the Union home ministry last year, people familiar with the matter said.
Early Tuesday morning, sleuths visited the residence of one Mohammad Shaqib in Ankhauli locality of Muzaffarpur. Shaqib’s father Mohammad Neyaz Ahmad told reporters that NIA sleuths had come looking for his son.
At Chakia in East Champaran, NIA team raided the house of one Mohammad Sajjad Ansari. His brother Saddam Ansari told HT that Sajjad has been working in Saudi Arabia for the past 14 months. He said the NIA team took away Aadhar and PAN cards of his brother.
In Siwan said, NIA sleuths visited Patwatoli locality and detained two people for interrogation. In Madhubani, the team raided the house of one Mohammad Shahabuddin in Barhara village, officials said.
In Darbhanga, separate teams of NIA raided the house of Dr Shariq Raza, a dentist, and Mohammad Mehboob. NIA team questioned Mehboob’s mother and his two brothers. Mehboob, 40, is said to have contested assembly elections in the past.
In Katihar, houses of Mohammad Najim and Mohammad Hasan were searched and sleuths recovered and took away some SIM cards and electronic gadgets.
Hasan and Najim were active PFI activists, officials said.
(With inputs from Bishnu K Jha & Aditya N Jha)
