Patna: A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team visited Gopalganj on Thursday to collect information about Mukesh Prasad, who was among the eight persons arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police's Special Task Force on Saturday for allegedly indulging in hawala operations and funding terrorist activities.

The investigating agency reached Kamla Roy college and inquired about Mukesh, a resident of Alapur village under the jurisdiction of Majha police station in Gopalganj district. The team called on college principal D.N. Pandey and sought information about Mukesh who had studied in the college.

Mukesh's father Jaleshwar Prasad, a teacher, had gone into hiding before the NIA team's arrival. A police official said on condition of anonymity that the NIA team collected details of bank accounts of Mukesh and inquired about money transactions. Two businessmen brothers - Naseem Akhtar and Arshad Nayeem of Gorakhpur - were in touch with Mukesh. "We can't share any information as it is related to the nation's security," Gopalganj superintendent of police (SP) Ravi Ranjan Kumar said. "We are cooperating with the NIA team. We've provided only logistic support to the investigating agency and don't interfere with their investigation."

On Saturday, the UP police's STF had nabbed eight persons - Sunil Rai, Musarraf Ansari, Dayanand Yadav, Mukesh Prasad, Naseem Ahmed, Arshad Nayeem, Sanjay Saroj, Neeraj Mishra and Shahil - from Gorakhpur and remanded them in judicial custody. They were booked under Sections 121A, 120 (B), 419, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of IPC and relevant sections of Wireless Telegraphy Act and Indian Telegraphy Act.

Mukesh's family members, however, claimed he was innocent and had been implicated in the case at the behest of his co-resident. "My husband has never been involved in any unlawful activities. I think he is being victimised for reasons not known to us. We will fight tooth and nail to provide him justice," his wife Guddi said.

Family members said the condition of Mukesh's father Jaleshwar Prasad deteriorated after he came to know about his son's involvement in a terror case. "He is undergoing treatment at a Gorakhpur based hospital," said a close relative.

Mukesh's sister Reena Devi said Mukesh had left home for Gorakhpur for a business-related work with Rs 1.5 lakh. "We had not expected he would get involved in anti-national activities. The family is solidly behind him. We believe he is being framed," she said.

Gopalganj hogged the limelight last year following the arrest of Bedar Bakht alias Dhannu Raj from the district headquarters town. Dhannu was accused of facilitating the stay of a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Nayeem Sheikh in Gopalganj.

Abdul Nayeem Sheikh was arrested from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh in December. Sources said Mukesh was assigned to open bank accounts on forged documents for transaction of money from Saudi Arabian countries for funding terror activities in Gopalganj and its adjoining district.

Dhannu was assigned to create a sleeper cell of the LeT in Gopalganj and its neighbouring districts.