17th accused charge-sheeted by NIA in Nizamabad PFI criminal conspiracy case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has charge-sheeted a man in connection with a criminal conspiracy by the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in Nizamabad in Telangana to recruit, radicalise and train youths to carry out acts of terror and violence, an official said on Thursday.

Nossam Mohamad Yunus is the 17th accused charge-sheeted under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by the NIA in the case.

The charge sheet was filed in a special NIA court in Hyderabad, the official said.

A spokesperson of the agency said Yunus is a trained PFI cadre who was engaged in motivating and radicalising impressionable Muslim youths to carry out violent terrorist activities in furtherance of the PFI conspiracy to establish an Islamic Rule in India by 2047.

''NIA has found that the accused was involved in recruiting vulnerable youth and imparting weapons training to them in PFI weapons training camps, specifically clandestinely organised for that purpose.

''He was training them in the use of lethal weapons to kill their 'targets' by attacking their vital body parts such as throat, stomach and head. Further, he was also found actively promoting enmity between different religious groups in the country,” the spokesperson said.

The case was initially registered by the VI Town police in Nizamabad district of Telangana in July last year. The NIA took over the investigation from the Telangana Police a month later and filed its first charge sheet against 11 accused in December last year and second charge sheet against five accused in March.

The NIA has been probing the anti-India activities of PFI and its many affiliates, which were declared as an ''unlawful association'' by the Ministry of Home Affairs in September last year, the spokesperson said.

The official said the ban on the PFI and its associates came after investigations conducted by various state police units and national agencies exposed their role and involvement in violent activities in many parts of the country.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)