The ongoing probe in Bihar’s Phulwari Sharif terror module case has revealed that the accused used to receive payments in the form of cryptocurrencies from Qatar. Marguv Ahmad Danish (26), a resident of Phulwari Sharif, was arrested on July 15 for allegedly operating two WhatsApp groups — ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ and ‘Direct Jihad’ — to propagate anti-India views, police said on Sunday. The case has now been transferred to the National Investigation Agency which was in the process of taking over the probe from Bihar Police.
“Evidence collected during the investigation revealed that Danish received funds in the form of cryptocurrency from Qatar-based organisation Alfalhi,” a police official said, according to news agency PTI.
The police official quoted by PTI further revealed that it has been found in the course of the investigation that messages disrespecting the national flag and symbol were being shared on the group (Ghazwa-e-Hind). The probe has also revealed that Danish was connected with a Pakistan-based fundamentalist group, Tehriq-e-Labbaiq, he said. “He was also in regular touch with Faizan, a Pakistani national,” the officer said.
Danish was the admin of the WhatsApp groups and was actively forwarding anti-India messages and was also in touch with several other overseas groups, the investigation has revealed. The terror module was busted by the Bihar police on July 14 with the arrest of three people involved in the nexus.
After the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) handed over the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the central probe agency on July 20 carried out searches in Jamia Maria Niswa Madrasa, located in Bihar’s East Champaran district, and arrested a teacher, identified as Asghar Ali, in connection with the case.
The matter came to light earlier this month when the Bihar Police had arrested three men allegedly linked to the Popular Front of India (PFI) for being part of a “potential terror module” that sought to target those “who make adverse and objectionable” comments against Islam.
A day prior to the arrests, the police filed an FIR against 26 people, under IPC Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 and 121A (waging war against state), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration).
According to the police, the arrests were made on the basis of intelligence inputs regarding some people gathering in Patna to “foment trouble” ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state.