NIA files chargesheet against 11 accused of organising terror camps for Popular Front of India
They radicalised young Muslims and recruited persons for the Muslim organisation, the National Investigation Agency alleged.
The National Investigation Agency has filed a chargesheet against 11 persons, accusing them of organising terror training camps and recruiting persons for terrorist acts that were allegedly carried out by the banned Muslim organisation Popular Front of India, ANI reported on Friday.
The chargesheet has been filed in a Hyderabad court in relation to a case that was registered after the police in Telangana’s Nizamabad district busted an alleged sleeper cell of the Popular Front of India, The Indian Express reported.
The police registered the case in the Nizamabad police station on July 4, which was subsequently taken over by the National Investigation Agency on August 26.
In September, the Centre had banned the Popular Front of India and its associates for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly having links with terror groups. The government notification on the ban alleged that the Muslim organisation along with its eight affiliates have been involved in “violent terrorist activities” and intended to create a reign of terror in the country, endangering security and public order.
In the Nizamabad case, the National Investigation Agency has alleged that the accused persons radicalised young Muslims and recruited them to the Popular Front of India “through speeches filled with hatred and venom against the government of India as well as other organisations and individuals”, ANI reported.
After being recruited to the Popular Front of India, they were sent to training camps “under the guise of yoga and physical education classes”, the investigation agency has alleged in its chargesheet.
The 11 accused persons have been charged under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) of the Indian Penal Code as well as four Sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.