New Delhi [India], July 4 (ANI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted one more accused in a case relating to the anti-national activities of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in Bihar, the NIA said in a statement on Friday.

Md. Sajjad Alam of East Champaran district, Bihar, is the 18th accused to be arrested and charged in the case RC-31/2022/NIA/DLI.

In its supplementary chargesheet filed on Friday before the NIA Special Court, Patna, the anti-terror agency has charged the accused, who was arrested from IGI Airport at New Delhi on his arrival from Dubai (UAE) in January this year, under various sections of the IPC and UA(P) Act. Earlier, the NIA Special Court had issued an arrest warrant against Sajjad, an active PFI cadre.

NIA Investigations had revealed that the accused was involved in channelising illegal funds from Dubai to PFI cadres in Bihar through a syndicate based in Karnataka and Kerala.

The funds were used for furthering criminal/unlawful activities of PFI even after its ban by the Government of India.

The PFI conspiracy, aimed at establishing Islamic rule in India by 2047, involved unlawful activities by the outfit's cadres in order to terrorise people and disrupt the country's peace and harmony by spreading religious enmity between different groups.

The case was originally registered on 12th July 2022 at PS Phulwarisharif in Patna district against 26 persons under the IPC. NIA took up the investigation a few days later and invoked the UA (P) Act in the case and had earlier chargesheeted 17 accused persons, the NIA said.

Further investigations in the case are continuing, it added.

Earlier, in a significant development in its ongoing probe into the targeted murder of BJP Yuva Morcha member Praveen Nettaru, allegedly carried out by members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested a prime accused who had been on the run for two years.

The accused, Abdul Rahaman, who carried a bounty of Rs 4 lakh, was arrested by an NIA team upon his arrival from Qatar at Kannur International Airport.

A total of four accused, including Rahaman and two other absconders, were chargesheeted by NIA in this case in April this year, taking the total chargesheeted in the case to 28.NIA had also declared rewards for information relating to six absconders.

Rahaman was carrying a reward of Rs 4 lakh for this arrest.NIA investigations had revealed that 'Rahaman had, on directions of PFI leadership, voluntarily harboured the main assailants and others involved in the case.''Rahaman had fled to Qatar after the attackers were arrested,' said the NIA in a statement.

Nettaru was brutally killed with sharp weapons by PFI cadres and members on July 26, 2022 in Bellare village of Sullia Taluk in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district. The killing was part of a larger conspiracy aimed at striking terror among the people and unleashing communal hatred and unrest in the society.NIA, which had re-registered the case as of August 4, 2022, is trying to track down the remaining absconders. (ANI)