Suspected terror module case in Bihar not linked to Nupur Sharma matter: Patna Police

Patna (Bihar) [India], July 14 (ANI): The suspected terror module busted in Patna on Wednesday is not related to the controversial remarks of the suspended Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma, Patna Police has said.
Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Manavjit Singh told the media on Thursday that no connection with Pakistan or Pak-based organization has been established so far of those arrested in the case.
"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 organization has been established so far. The NIA team has not reached yet but they will get involved," he said.
He said those arrested by police are members of PFI and SDPI.
"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.
"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 underway. Financial records and funds are to be looked into in the next phase of the investigation," he added.
The police official said the arrested persons and others involved with them used to mobilize youth in mosques and madrasas for radicalisation.
"They used to mobilize youth from mosques and madrasas towards radicalization. Their modus operandi was to act like an RSS Shakha where lathi training is given. They would call them for physical training but also brainwash and radicalize them," the SSP 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.

ASP Phulwarisharif, Manish Kumar had said on Wednesday 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," Kumar had said.
He said on Thursday that police were getting inputs for past 15 days on some illegal activity in area. "We verified technically and via local sources. Under cover of SDPI & PFI they were radicalizing people, giving arms training on pretext of teaching martial arts," he said.
The complaint by police on the basis of which FIR has been filed in the case refers to Parvez telling police that he worked on instructions of PFI.
"As per instructions from PFI, I used to induct former members of SIMI to create an underground organization. The main objective of this organization would be to avenge the atrocities against Muslims in the country and would target and attack those who make abusive comments on the religion," it quotes Parvez. The complaint refers to Parvez speaking about "campaign being run to take revenge" on "objectionable remarks" of Nupur Sharma and to the killings in Udaipur and Amravati.
Kumar told ANI that an FIR has been lodged against a total of 26 people of which three 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 three people have been arrested," he said.
Bihar Additional Director General (Headquarters) JS Gangwar said that special teams have been constituted to probe the potential terror module busted by Bihar Police,.
"A case was registered in Patna. Two people have been arrested and their interrogation is underway. Various teams of police is interrogating with 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, 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.
Kumar had said on Wednesday that 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". (ANI)