NIA nabs absconding accused in Nizamabad PFI case

Hyderabad, March 2: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has nabbed an absconding accused in connection with the Nizamabad PFI case. Abdul Saleem, who was carrying a cash reward of Rs 2 lakh for his arrest, was arrested from Mydukur in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh in an operation, the NIA said.

He was the 'State Secretary' for the 'PFI Telangana North' and was charge sheeted in the case involving an anti-India conspiracy by the banned outfit to carry out acts of terror and violence.

The agency said he was the 15th accused to be arrested in the case, which was originally registered by the Telangana Police at Nizamabad Police Station in July 2022 and taken over by the NIA in August the same year.

A key part of the conspiracy of the PFI and its cadres was to make India an Islamic nation by 2047.

Abdul Saleem has been on the run since the case came to light and the NIA had subsequently declared a reward for his arrest.

The NIA said that the probe into the case has revealed that he was involved in radicalisation and recruitment of impressionable Muslim youth in the PFI.

He was also sending them to terror training camps for weapons training to equip them to further the organisation's nefarious anti-India agenda, the agency said.

NIA had filed a chargesheet against 11 accused including Abdul Saleem in December 2022.

This was followed by supplementary chargesheets against five in March and one in December last year.