Anantapur: A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) nabbed Abdul Saleem, a member of the banned Popular Front of India accused of radicalising Muslim youth, from a mosque in Cherlopalli village of Mydukur mandal in Kadapa district on Sunday.
Sources said Abdul Saleem, a native of Jagityal and secretary of PFI in the north Telangana region, has been absconding since July 2022. It is said he had taken shelter at the Cherlopalli village mosque about 25 days ago in the name of offering spiritual service.
It is said over the past 25 days, locals started suspecting him when they found that Abdul Saleem largely spent time online, though he had taken shelter at the mosque to offer spiritual service.
The information reached NIA, which has been on high alert following the blast at the Rameswaram café in Bengaluru city. A team of NIA raided the Cherlopalli mosque and nabbed Abdul Saleem. He has been shifted to Hyderabad.
NIA sources said 11 persons are accused in the 2022 Nizamabad PFI case, with Abdul Saleem being accused number 5. He has been absconding since then. NIA had offered a reward of ₹2 lakh for information on him.
Kadapa police have sounded an alert in the district following Nayeem’s arrest.
