PATNA: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted a raid in Bihar's East Champaran district following which it detained eight operatives of the banned group Popular Front of India (PFI), an official said on Saturday.

The searches were carried out at Kuawan village on Friday night.

Among the detainees, Riyaz Maroof is considered as the main operative of the PFI.

They were facing charges of hatching a conspiracy to carry out an explosion at the under-construction Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya.

According to sources, the NIA had intercepted a message wherein an "explosion at the temple" was mentioned. The operatives were also planning to hold a meeting to discuss their plan of action.

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