New Delhi, Oct 29 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a supplementary charge sheet at a Special Court in Patna against a key accused in connection with the PFI Phulwari Sharif conspiracy case.
The charge sheet has been filed againt Anwar Rashid, a resident of Sant Ravidas Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.
According to NIA, the supplementary charge sheet has been filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, including 120B, 121, 121A, 122, 153A, and 153B. Additionally, charges have been brought under sections 10, 13, 17, 18, 20, 38, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
"This case, which was initially registered at Phulwari Sharif Police Station, in Patna, under sections 120, 120B, 121, 121A, 153A, 153B, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), originally involved 26 accused persons.
"The NIA re-registered the case on July 22, 2022. In the previous months, the NIA had filed chargesheets against 13 suspects," said the NIA in a statement issued on Saturday.
"A total of 17 people have been arrested so far in the instant case," it stated.
The NIA investigations have established that Anwar Rashid was formerly a member of the banned organisation, the Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
"Following the ban on SIMI by the Central government, he became associated with the group 'Wahdat-e-Islami, Hind,' all the while continuing to promote SIMI's extremist, unlawful and violent ideology. Post-ban on SIMI, its members shifted their allegiance to Wahadat-e-Islami with the aim of pursuing the establishment of Islamic Rule in India," the NIA stated.
"During the period when PFI was actively organising its activities in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Rashid aligned himself with these groups, driven by their shared goal of establishing Islamic rule in India," it stated.
"Rashid played a crucial role in cobbling-together a covert group consisting of former SIMI members, who would operate under the banner of the Popular Front of India. It is essential to highlight the involvement of Athar Parvez, another former SIMI member, who was responsible for coordinating PFI activities in various areas, including Phulwarisharif and other parts of Patna," it stated.
Rashid was also involved in transferring funds to terror accused.
"This financial support aimed to provide both ideological and logistical support to members of outlawed terrorist groups. Furthermore, he served as a central hub for receiving and disseminating information and messages from senior SIMI leaders and those accused in various terror cases," it said.
As per NIA, Rashid had close connections with Guidance Publications and regularly shared radical literature with radicalised and gullible youth and others who shared similar beliefs, including those facing terrorism-related charges.
Moreover, he was instrumental in disseminating Calendars produced by Wahadat-e-Islami, which centred around the idea of establishing an Islamic Caliphate in India.
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