The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted a significant raid in Bihar's Kishanganj district on Friday, taking two individuals into custody for questioning regarding their alleged connections with the banned extremist organisation, the Popular Front of India (PFI).
Detention and Questioning in Kishanganj
Acting on intelligence, the federal anti-terror agency picked up Mahfuz Alam and Aftab from Kishanganj. Both had previously been served notices by the NIA to appear for interrogation. Following hours of questioning, Aftab was released. However, Mahfuz Alam was subjected to extended interrogation until late evening before he too was released.
The central focus of the NIA's inquiry is Mahfuz Alam's suspected links with the PFI and the extent of his involvement in the organisation's activities. Agency officials are specifically probing the level of his contact with the Phulwarisharif terror module and mapping his network of associates.
The 2022 Phulwarisharif Terror Conspiracy Case
This latest action is part of a broader investigation into a case originally registered in 2022 at Phulwarisharif. The case alleged that PFI members were conspiring to carry out terrorist activities, provide illegal arms training, and deliberately disturb communal harmony in the region.
The investigation was initially handled by the Bihar Police before being transferred to the NIA. The probe has revealed a concerted plot by PFI members involving terror planning and recruitment. So far, chargesheets have been filed against 17 accused in this high-profile case.
Key Arrests and Ongoing Manhunt
One of the prime accused in this conspiracy is Mahboob Alam alias Mahboob Nadvi (39), a resident of Katihar's Hasanganj area. Nadvi, a former student of Jamia Millia Islamia and the alleged state president of Bihar PFI in 2016-17, was arrested near Haleem Chowk in Kishanganj in September 2025. He was named as the 19th accused in the chargesheet related to the Phulwarisharif case.
The NIA suspects Nadvi was deeply involved in the PFI's clandestine operations and was actively motivating local youth towards extremist ideology. His associate in the case, Noman, remains absconding and is wanted by the authorities.
In a separate development in January 2025, another accused, Mohammad Sajjad Alam, was arrested from the Delhi airport. He is accused of funding the PFI's activities from Dubai, highlighting the international dimensions of the case.
Police sources indicate that the names of Mahfuz Alam, Mahboob Nadvi, and Aftab had surfaced during the early stages of the PFI case in 2022. However, the NIA had only questioned Mahboob Nadvi in September 2025 prior to this latest raid. The agency has not yet issued an official statement regarding Friday's operations and the ongoing line of inquiry.
