NIA raids 5 states in PFI case; seizes incriminating materials

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out raids in five states on Sunday (August 13) as a part of its ongoing endeavors to thwart the Popular Front of India's (PFI) scheme to disrupt harmony by fostering communal divisions among the populace and destabilizing the nation, an official stated.

Fourteen locations were searched in Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Bihar, leading to the seizure of several digital devices as well as incriminating documents, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.

The official said the raids were conducted in Kannur and Malappuram districts of Kerala, Dakshin Kannada in Karnataka, Nashik and Kolhapur in Maharashtra, Murshidabad in West Bengal and Katihar in Bihar.

"The NIA has been working to unravel and thwart the attempts by PFI and its top leadership to create an armed cadre and raise a PFI Army for establishing an Islamic caliphate in India by 2047 through acts of terror, violence and sabotage.

Also Read: IIT Delhi drops one set of mid-semester exams to reduce student stress

"PFI has been conspiring to radicalise gullible youth and provide them weapons training in a bid to further its violent anti-India agenda by fighting against certain sections of the society," the spokesperson said.

The official said the agency suspects that several mid-rung PFI agents are operating as master trainers, conducting arms training camps in various states for its highly radicalised cadres.

"Based on intelligence and investigative analysis and insights, it (NIA) has been raiding multiple locations in various states over the past several months to identify and arrest these cadres and operatives," the spokesperson said.

NIA registered a case against PFI in April last year and arrested several of its top leaders, including over a dozen National Executive Council members, following country-wide operations in September 2022.

Also Read: Data usage and ground-rules: Inside India's new Digital Personal Data Protection framework

The probe agency has filed a charge sheet against PFI as an organization and 19 of its members in March followed by a supplementary charge sheet against the PFI national coordinator of weapons training in April.

"Investigations are continuing to unearth and expose the complete PFI conspiracy to indoctrinate and train susceptible youth to create mayhem in the country," the spokesperson said.

(With agency inputs)