Mohammed Rashid, the training commander of Popular Front of India (PFI), has been arrested from Janpad Basti in Uttar Pradesh's Siddharthnagar district, said the state Special Task Force (STF) on Sunday.
According to a statement released by the STF, it had received information a few days ago that some members of the PFI were hatching a criminal conspiracy and had formed a terrorist group to execute it.
The statement also said that PFI was planning to carry out attacks at various important places and senior functionaries of major Hindi orgsations across Uttar Pradesh.
The STF, in its statement, mentioned that on March 11, 2021, it received information that the accused would be travelling to Mumbai from Janpad Basti by train, however, he could not be located.
On Sunday, an input was received that the Rashid was present in the Janpad Basti and was planning to flee to Mumbai late in the night to participate in a meeting/training session, said the STF.
Acting on the information, the joint teams of STF Gorakhpur and Lucknow flung into action and nabbed the accused from Janbad Basti today, said the STF.
The STF also said that during interrogation, the accused stated that PFI used to brainwash the youth, provide them with arms and train them to carry out attacks at planned locations.
Based on the above information, a first information report (FIR) was lodged against the accused at the Shohratgarh Police Station of Uttar Pradesh's Siddharthnagar district under Sections 12A, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 12B and further investigation is underway.
( With inputs from ANI )
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