NIA raids eight districts in Bihar, seizes incriminating documents

PATNA/MOTIHARI: In a fresh crackdown on the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at 12 different locations in eight districts of Bihar on Tuesday.
Simultaneous searches were conducted with the help of local police in Siwan, Sheohar, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Katihar, Madhubani, Purnia and East Champaran.
The NIA teams seized a hoard of digital devices, bank transaction details and incriminating documents related to PFI, its spokesperson said.
In Muzaffarpur, the team searched the residence of one Mohammad Saquib at Ankhauli village under Katra police station area from 5am till afternoon. Saquib's father Neyaz Ahmed told the media persons that the NIA officers inquired about his son and obtained his mobile phone number.
"I told them that we have no contact with him for the past one year. They tried to call him but there was no response," he said. The team seized the passbooks of Saquib's bank account.
In East Champaran, the team raided the house of Mohammad Sajjad Ansari at Kuawa in Chakiya and seized some documents, including Aadhaar card and PAN card from his house. Sajjad is the son of Farook Ansari, who has been working in Saudi Arbia for the last 14 months.
According to NIA sources, its team had arrested Mohammad Irsad, an active PFI member, from Harpur-Kishuni village and seized documents related to PFI and other anti-national activities. This time the raid was conducted on the house of Sajjad Ansari. The NIA team had raided Kuawa village in the past as well and had raided the house of most wanted PFI leader Maroof Riaz, who is still absconding.
The NIA team raided the house of a dentist, Dr Shariq Raza in Urdu Bazar locality in Laheriasarai and a Mohammad Mahboob's house at Shankarpur village under Singhwara police station area in Darbhanga. According to police sources, Mahboob was not at home and the NIA sleuths interrogated his family members. Earlier, the NIA team had searched Sanaullah and Mohd Mustakim's houses in the village.
In Katihar, the NIA searched the house of Mohd Nazeem at Rajbara and Mohd Hassan's place at Chaanpi under Kodha block. Similar searches were also conducted at Mohammad Shahabuddin's house at Barhara under Babubarhi PS in Madhubani.
In Siwan, the NIA team detained two persons for interrogation during the raid at Patwatoli under Town police station area.