NIA announces Rs 2 lakhs reward on three absconding PFI members

The NIA announced a reward of Rs 2 lakhs each for three members of the Popular Front of India, who are wanted in the terror training centre case.

Jagtial (Telangana): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday announced a reward of Rs 2 lakhs each on three members of the Popular Front of India (PFI), who were wanted in the terror training centre case that took place last year, police said. The three accused have been identified as Abdul Salim of Islampura in Jagtial district, Mohammad Abdul Ahad of Nizamabad district and Sheikh Ilias Ahmed, a resident of Nellore district.

According to officials, on September 18, 2022, the NIA, which kept tabs on the terror training held at a centre in Nizamabad, conducted simultaneous raids in 38 areas across the state and arrested the activists of the banned organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). The NIA arrested one Mohammad Irfan of Usmanpura after searches were conducted in seven areas of Jagtial. At the same time, Abdul Salim was included as the accused. Since then, NIA has announced the reward as he has not been found. Locals said that Abdul Salim is from Maharashtra and worked in a furniture workshop for some years while staying in Islampura.

The banned PFI activities came to light only five years ago. In 2019, the organisation's office was set up in Jagtial and the police conducted several inspections. Several cases were registered against the activists. At least 30 cases have been registered against eight people in the district. Sources said that 200 people were given aggressive training in the name of martial arts in Nizamabad while operating centres in Jagtial and Nizamabad. In this regard, a case was registered in July last year.

Meanwhile, another case was registered in August and the investigation intensified, and the NIA stepped into the field in September. Since then, the members of the organisation have been detained in the state as well as in different parts of the country. A reward of Rs 2 lakh each has been announced for the three missing persons.