NIA arrests PFI leader Abdul Salim in Nizamabad case

HYDERABAD: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has apprehended another fugitive accused in the Nizamabad PFI case, whose name was mentioned in the charge sheet.

An NIA spokesperson announced on Saturday that a reward of Rs 2 lakh was also offered for the arrest of the accused involved in the anti-India conspiracy. Abdul Salim, the PFI Telangana North State Secretary, is the 15th accused to be arrested in the case. The case was initially registered at Nizamabad Police Station in July 2022 and was later transferred to the NIA in August of the same year.

According to the NIA spokesperson, the Popular Front of India's conspiracy aimed to transform India into an Islamic state by 2047. Abdul Salim had been evading authorities since the case surfaced, and a reward was issued for his arrest. The spokesman reported that Salim was apprehended from Maidukur in Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district following an intelligence tip-off.

During the NIA investigation into the case, it was discovered that Salim actively recruited Muslim youths to join the PFI, and he subsequently sent these recruits to a terrorist training camp for weapons training to further their anti-India agenda. The NIA had filed a charge sheet against 11 accused, including Abdul Salim, in December 2022.