NIA arrests PFI's alleged master weapons trainer living with fake identity in Karnataka
Bengaluru: The National investigation agency on Tuesday, arrested a master weapons trainer of the Popular Front of India (PFI) who was living in Karnataka allegedly under a false identity and was arrested on grounds of his alleged involvement in the Nizamabad terror conspiracy case, said the NIA in a press release.
The accused, identified as Nossam Mohamed Yunus, had been living under an assumed identity in Karnataka, and he had allegedly concealed his involvement in the nefarious activities of the banned organisation.
The NIA in its release cited the case details, "pertain to a criminal conspiracy hatched by the leaders and cadres of the now banned outfit PFI to recruit and radicalise youth and provide them with arms training to promote & carry out terrorist activities with the ultimate objective of establishing Islamic rule in India.”
According to NIA, 33 Y/O Yunus aka 'Yunus of Nandyal' was doing an inverter business along with his elder brother and when the NIA searched his residence in September 2022 he was found absconding along with his wife and two minor sons.
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Meanwhile, after an extensive search, the NIA allegedly discovered Yunus' hideout in the Cowl Bazar area of Bellary district, where he had allegedly relocated his family from Andhra Pradesh, assuming a fake identity name, Basheer, and working as a plumber.
Yunus, according to the NIA, allegedly played a critical role as a master weapons trainer for PFI in the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana regions. Additionally, he held the position of PE Training State Coordinator for these two states in the Nizamabad PFI case.
The release further revealed that Yunus had been actively involved in providing weapons training to the youth recruited by the organisation.
The anti-terror investigation task force further revealed that Yunus tried evading questioning during interrogations, however, Yunus revealed the involvement of another individual, Shaikh Ilyas Ahmed, in the PFI Weapons Training program. However, Ahmed is currently on the run and is yet to be traced.
The Telangana Police initially registered an FIR in this case on July 4, 2022, which was subsequently taken over by the NIA under the re-registered case number RC-03/2022/NIA/HYD. So far, the NIA has filed two chargesheets against 16 individuals implicated in this case, read the release.
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
