Tausif organized rally in Patna on orders from Kolkata

Patna: Mohammad Tausif Ahmed, presently lodged in Beur jail, took out a rally here on Friday to extend support to televangelist Zakir Naik and MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on the directions of a leader of Popular Front of India (PFI) based in Kolkata. During the rally, he allegedly raised pro-Pakistan rally, for which he was arrested by the city police.
Tausif is the general secretary of PFI in Mithilanchal zone. Intelligence sources said PFI is another face of the banned outfit Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
IG (Darbhanga zone) Umashankar Sudhanshu on Sunday said Tausif was very close to a PFI leader based in Kolkata and acted solely on his directions. Investigations are on to identify the leader and probe his activities.
He also said police never sensed any antinational feeling brewing in Madhubani, Darbhanga and Samastipur districts. He claimed that Zakir Naik, who is said to have inspired the perpetrators of Dhaka attack recently, has very few followers in the three districts. “Investigations have started to reach to the roots of the matter,” he said, adding Tausif hailed from a simple family. Police are investigating with whom he was in contact, in person or over cellphone or Internet.
Meanwhile, Madhubani SP Akhtar Hussain said he has sent a preliminary report on Tausif’s background to Patna SSP Manu Maharaaj. Nothing adverse has been found against him so far.
City SP (Patna central) Chandan Kumar Kushwaha said the intelligence unit of ATS, Bihar, IB and NIA along with state police are engaged in investigations. Tausif’s bank account transactions are being verified.
“One more youth, who was with Tausif in the procession, is also under police scanner,” the SP said and added no further arrests had been made as Tausif was the main person who had raised pro-Pakistani slogans.