No Pak connection in suspected terror module case in Bihar

Patna (Bihar) [India], July 14 (ANI): After busting a potential terror module, Bihar Police on Thursday said no connection with Pakistan or Pakistan-based organisations has been established with the arrested persons.
Addressing mediapersons, Manavjit Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Patna said, "There is no involvement of any mainstream religious institution. They worked individually, away from the public eye. This is not related to the Nupur Sharma matter. No connection with Pakistan or Pak-based organisations has been established so far. The NIA team has not reached yet but they will get involved."
"Any organization may have frontal and underground organizations. They were meeting under the cover of SDPI (Social Democratic Party of India) and PFI (Popular Front of India) but may be running their own agenda. Their activities were only limited to Bihar. We cannot call them sleeper cells as they are members of PFI and SDPI which are still not banned," he added.
The official said the arrested persons used mobilize youth from mosques and madrasas towards radicalization.
"They used to mobilize youth from mosques and madrasas towards radicalization. Their modus operandi was to act like an RSS shakhas where lathi training is given. They would call them for physical training but also brainwash and radicalise them," said Singh.
The SSP said the arrested persons did not have plans to sabotage Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Patna.
"We monitor social media and other areas before PM's visit. That is when the activity there showed up. It was, however, not meant for sabotaging PM's visit to Patna. Interrogation is ongoing. Financial records and funds are to be looked into in the next phase of the investigation," said Singh.
Special teams have been constituted to probe the potential terror module busted by Bihar Police, Bihar Additional Director General (Headquarters) JS Gangwar said on Thursday.
"A case was registered in Patna. Two people have been arrested and their interrogation is underway. Various teams of police are interrogating them. Various items were recovered from their possession like poster banners, PFI documents, mobile phones etc. which are being looked into. Since the case has been registered, and the arrest has been made, things will come to the fore during the interrogation. The arrest of other people may also be possible," Gangwar told ANI.
"We will take action based on the evidence. We'll work on all the dimensions as per our probe. We are coordinating with the Patna Police," he added.
Gangwar said that items including Popular Front of India documents were recovered from the arrested persons.
The official, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state and Patna on July 12, said that the intentions of the arrested persons on the PM's visit could be cleared after the interrogation.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP)(Bihar), Manish Kumar told ANI that an FIR has been lodged against a total of 26 people of which 3 people have been arrested.
"We keep an eye on such institutions on routine work. Because the Prime Minister was coming, we were alert and in the meantime we came to know about these people's office and we started investigating it closely. FIR has been lodged against a total of 26 people of which 3 people have been arrested," ASP Manish Kumar said.
Bihar Police on Wednesday busted a potential terror module with some links to extremist outfit PFI and arrested two accused. The two include a retired police officer of Jharkhand, Mohammad Jallauddin and a former member of Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) who is also a current member of PFI and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), Athar Parvez.
Earlier, Kumar had said an excerpt from an eight-page-long document recovered from the accused titled 'India vision 2047' talks about "subjugating coward majority community and bringing back the glory".
Kumar had added that Parvez's younger brother went to jail in 2001-02 bomb blasts in the state after SIMI was banned. The police official said that Parvez also raised funds in lakhs. He said locals were taught to use swords and knives in name of martial arts and the accused instigated others toward religious violence.
"On July 6-7, in name of martial arts, locals were taught to use swords and knives. They instigated others toward religious violence. We have CCTV footage as well as witness accounts. Parvez also raised funds in lakhs, ED is being involved for the same," said Kumar. (ANI)