Shah takes stock as NIA arrests 106 PFI cadres in raids across 11 states
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted simultaneous raids across 11 states, leading to the arrest of 106 activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country, officials said.
The maximum number of arrests were made in Kerala (22) followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka (20 each), Tamil Nadu (10), Assam (9), Uttar Pradesh (8), Andhra Pradesh (5), Madhya Pradesh (4), Puducherry and Delhi (3 each) and Rajasthan (2).
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According to the officials, the arrests were made during the raids which have been termed as the “largest-ever investigation process till date”.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting later in the day wherein the raids and the arrests were discussed, officials told PTI. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director General of National Investigation Agency (NIA) Dinkar Gupta were among the top officials who attended the high-level meeting. Shah is said to have taken stock of the action taken against the terror suspects and PFI activists across the country, an official said.
The NIA conducted the raids in collaboration with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the police forces of 11 states.
The officials said the searches are taking place at the premises of persons involved in terror funding, organising training camps, and radicalising people to join proscribed organisations.
Formed in 2006, the PFI claims to strive for a neo-social movement ostensibly for the empowerment of marginalised sections of India. It is, however, often accused by law enforcement agencies of promoting radical Islam.
In a statement, the PFI condemned the raids.
“The raids are taking place at the homes of national, state and local leaders of PFI. The state committee office is also being raided”. “We strongly protest the fascist regimes move to use agencies to silence dissenting voices,” it said.
The raids come two days after NIA booked four PFI functionaries under UAPA after conducting raids in 38 locations of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The ED has been investigating the PFI’s alleged “financial links” on charges of fuelling the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in the country, the 2020 Delhi riots, alleged conspiracy in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras over the alleged gang-rape and death of a Dalit woman, and a few other instances.
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The PFI was formed in 2006 in Kerala and is headquartered in Delhi. The probe agency has filed two charge sheets against PFI and its office-bearers before a special PMLA court in Lucknow. In February last year, the ED filed its first charge sheet against PFI and its student-wing Campus Front of India (CFI) on money laundering charges, claiming its members wanted to “incite communal riots and spread terror” in the aftermath of the Hathras gang rape case of 2020.
Those named in the charge sheet include K A Rauf Sherif, national general secretary of CFI and a member of PFI; Atikur Rahman, national treasurer of CFI; Masud Ahmed, Delhi-based general secretary of CFI; journalist “associated with PFI” Siddique Kappan; and Mohammed Alam, another CFI/PFI member. In the second charge sheet filed this year, the ED had claimed that a hotel based in the UAE “served” as a money laundering front for the PFI.
(With inputs from agencies)
