Bihar PFI case: Nupur Sharma's address found on terror suspect's phone, ED begins money laundering probe

Suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's address was found on the phone of one of the accused arrested in the alleged 'terror' module case in Patna, in which the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a money laundering probe.

Patna: The address of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma was found on the phone of Mohammad Athar Parvez who has been arrested in connection with the alleged Patna 'terror module' case. Teams of the National Investigating Agency and Intelligence Bureau fetched out the phone number while investigating the Bihar PFI case.

It's being suspected by the investigating agency that Nupur Sharma might be on the target list of Athar and his group members since she made a controversial remark on the Prophet Mohammad, leading to a major uproar in the country. ATS is looking for the remand of Ilyas Tahir aka Magrub, who was recently arrested and has been associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI).

On Tuesday, ATS has sought the court for his remand. Once ATS gets his custody, detailed interrogation will follow. As per sources, Margub's links are stretching up to Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and now the police teams have widened their radar of investigation on the basis of the evidence they got. Eight teams of Bihar police and ATS are conducting raids in 10 districts of the state including Patna, Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, Araria for the arrest of the absconding accused in the case.

Police have also recovered a diary of PFI that will help in decoding the links and lead up to the financial trail of Ilyas Tahir and his accomplice. The Enforcement Directorate will also join the ongoing investigation. For now, ATS is engaged in tracking a girl named Ilisa, who is said to be close to Ilyas Tahir. Athar is a former member of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), his accomplice Arman Malik is part of the SDPI.

It may be recalled that last week the Patna police recovered a document from the house of Mohammad Jallauddin and Athar on July 11 a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Patna. The document is titled India 2047-Towards Rule of Islam in India. The document speaks about a plan to establish an Islamic government in the country by the 100th Independence Day anniversary of India.

ED begins money laundering probe

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a money laundering probe into the "terror module". The ED, officials said, has taken cognisance of this Patna police FIR and has clubbed in its wider probe being conducted by it against PFI, its members and linked persons. The agency will question the accused arrested by police and probe to find the funds transacted by them and if "proceeds of crime" were generated by them through money laundering, the officials said.

The ED has been investigating PFI's alleged "financial links" on charges of fuelling the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in the country, the Delhi riots that took place in February, 2020, alleged conspiracy in the Hathras (a UP district) case of alleged gangrape and death of a Dalit woman and a few other instances.

The Islamist organisation was formed in 2006 in Kerala and is headquartered in Delhi. The agency has filed two chargesheets against PFI and its office bearers before a special PMLA court in Lucknow. The agency, last month, attached bank deposits of more than Rs 68.62 lakh of PFI and its "front" organisation Rehab India Foundation as part of these probes. (with Agency inputs)