[Nizamabad PFI Case] “Radicalizing gullible Muslim youth and recruiting them into PFI”: NIA files chargesheet against 11 accused

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on December 29, 2022, filed chargesheet before the NIA Special Court, Hyderabad against 11 accused persons in a case pertaining to the organizing of terror training camps and recruitment of persons for terrorist acts by the Popular Front of India (PFI).

The 11 accused chargesheeted persons are:

1. Abdul Khader
2. Abdul Ahad
3. Shaik Iliyas Ahmed
4. Abdul Saleem
5. Shaik Shadullah
6. Feroz Khan
7. Mohammad Osman @ Usman
8. Syed Yahiya Sameer
9. Shaik Imran @ Imran Qureshi
10. Mohd Abdul Mubeen
11. Mohammad Irfan

All the 11 accused persons have been chargesheeted under Section 120B [criminal conspiracy], 153(A) [Promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, etc.] of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 17 (Raising funds for the terrorist act), 18 (Conspiracy), 18A (Punishment for organizing of terrorist camps), and 18B (Recruiting persons for the terrorist act) of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

“Once recruited into the PFI, the Muslim youth were sent to Training Camps organized by the PFI under the cover and guise of Yoga Classes and Physical Education (PE) Beginners Course (BC), where they were trained in the use of everyday articles (knife, sickle, and iron rods) to kill a person by attacking vulnerable body parts, such as throat, stomach, and head and for the commission of terrorist acts”, the NIA press release stated.

According to the NIA investigation, all the accused were “radicalizing gullible Muslim youth and recruiting them into the PFI” through speeches full of hatred and venom directed at the government of India and other organizations and individuals.

As per the NIA press release, the case was initially registered on July 4, 2022, at VI Town Police Station in Nizamabad, Telangana, and later re-registered by NIA on August 26, 2022.