PFI News: Mega crackdown on PFI, 106 functionaries arrested in NIA raids in 15 states

Multi-agency teams spearheaded by the NIA arrested 106 functionaries of the radical Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) on Thursday in near simultaneous raids at 93 locations in 15 states for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country, officials said.
 

Violent acts allegedly carried out by PFI such as chopping off the hand of a college professor and cold-blooded killings of persons associated with organisations espousing other faiths have had a "demonstrative effect" of striking terror in the minds of the citizens, the NIA said on Thursday.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said this after 106 activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) were arrested by agencies led by it during pan-India raids in 15 states for allegedly supporting terror activities.

"Criminal violent acts carried out by PFI such as chopping off the hand of a college professor, cold-blooded killings of persons associated with organisations espousing the other faiths, collection of explosives to target prominent people and places, support to Islamic State and destruction of public property have had a demonstrative effect of striking terror in the minds of the citizens," an NIA statement said.

During the searches on Thursday, the NIA found incriminating documents, cash, sharp-edged weapons, besides a large number of digital devices, it said.

PTI

A Delhi court on Thursday sent 18 activists of the PFI, arrested from different parts of the country in a multi-agency operation led by the NIA, to four days' custodial interrogation for allegedly supporting terror activities.

Special Judge Shailendra Malik passed the order after the probe agency produced the accused before the court and sought their custody, saying they needed to be quizzed to unearth the larger conspiracy.
 

All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz issued a press release regarding action (arrest) on Popular Front of India (PFI) members

"PFI is trying to mislead the country by acting as the saviour of Islam. We've protested against their policies time & again & requested for their ban," it said.

A Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in Assam's Guwahati has sent nine arrested persons linked with Popular Front of India (PFI) to five days of police custody.

Statewise arresting made by NIA:

• Kerala- 19
• Andhra Pradesh- 4
• Karnataka- 7
• Tamil Nadu -11
• Uttar Pradesh- 1
• Telangana- 1
• Rajasthan- 2

20 PFI activists including five from Nanded have been detained in Maharashtra. We had received information that some activists of the PFI are indulging in anti-national activities, Sandeep Khade, ATS SP, Aurangabad, said.

Amid NIA and ED's massive nationwide search operation against PFI, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said, "National security is extremely important."

"I appreciate the efforts," he added.

Activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) on Thursday staged protests across Kerala against the raids carried out in their organisation's offices, houses of leaders and other premises by multi-agencies led by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country.

The outfit also called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the southern state on  Friday to mark their strong protest against the central agencies' act.

A PFI statement here said its state committee observed that the arrest of the leaders was part of "state-sponsored terrorism".
 

Commenting on the nationwide raids on PFI, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, "My view is that all forms of communalism, all forms of violence regardless of where they come from are the same and should be combated. There should be zero tolerance for communalism regardless of where it is coming from."

Two PFI members were arrested by the NIA from Varanasi. They are being interrogated at an undisclosed location now. 

"I think PFI is related to terrorists. We are not opposed to running the organization and uniting the Muslim community. But if there is an attempt to spread terror here by taking the name of the country, then there is a need to take action on it. I welcome the raids of NIA and ED," Union Minister Ramdas Athawale opined on the nationwide raids. 

Hailing the action against PFI, Union Minister Giriraj Singh opined, "The law must take its own course. I don't want to comment on it. PFI is a terrorist organization that works against India. They have made Purnea their centre. They were caught in Phulwari Sharif. They wanted to make India a Muslim country before 1947."

In a statement, PFI's National Executive Council (NEC) condemned the national wide raids by the NIA and ED and the unjust arrests and the harassment of its National and state leaders across India and the witch-hunting against the members, and supporters of the organization. NIA's baseless claims and sensationalism are solely aimed at creating an atmosphere of terror. Popular Front will never ever surrender on any scary action by a totalitarian regime using the central agencies as its puppets and will stand firm on its will for recovering the democratic system and spirit of the constitution of our beloved country.

In an official statement, SDPI national president MK Faizi issued a statement accusing the Union government of creating terror using agencies. He demanded the unconditional release of leaders belonging to the Popular Front of India. 

Kerala Police detained PFI workers in Kannur after they tried to block a road in order to protest against the NIA raids. NIA raids are underway at several locations linked to PFI in several states.

In his first reaction to the NIA raids, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis remarked, "It won't be appropriate to talk about the action right now. After the action is over, there will be an official statement on this."

SDPI workers raised slogans of "NIA Go Back" to protest against the NIA raid at the residence of an SDPI leader in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.

The NIA is conducting searches at the residence of a PFI worker in Kolkata.

A total of three PFI members were detained in Aurangabad. They include Sayyed Faisal, a resident of National Colony, Shaikh Irfan, ex-District President, a  resident of Bayjipura and Parvez Khan, a resident of Bayjipura.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting with officials including NSA Ajit Doval, Home Secretary and the DG NIA on raids by NIA on PFI. 

Maulana Saifur Rehman, PFI’s Nashik district president was detained by the Maharashtra ATS. He was taken into custody from Malegaon. 

In an early morning operation, ATS Maharashtra conducted a large number of raids in Aurangabad, Pune, Kohlapur, Beed Parbhani, Nanded, Jalgaon, Jalna, Malegaon, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Mumbai. Four offences have been registered in Mumbai Nashik, Aurangabad and Nanded in various sections of IPC and UAPA for indulging in unlawful activities promoting enmity amongst communities and for conspiring to wage war against the State. So far 20 accused connected with PFI have been arrested. 
 

• Series of killings of RSS and BJP workers in Kerala

• Chopping of Professor TJ Joseph's hand for which 13 PFI workers were found guilty

• 6 individuals linked with PFI were arrested for plotting to kill BJYM president & Lok Sabha MP Tejasvi Surya

• Incitement of violence during the anti-CAA protests

• Love Jihad cases

• 2020 Delhi riots

As per sources, the NIA detained two PFI members from Pune. 

PFI workers protested against the National Investigation Agency raid at the PFI office in Chennai.

Formed in 2006, the Popular Front of India has come under the scanner for its alleged involvement in various anti-social and anti-national activities. Its political front- the Social Democratic Party of India came into existence in 2009 and has contested elections. In April 2021, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court that the Centre is in the process of banning PFI. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs is yet to issue an official notification in this regard.

Sources revealed that both the ED as well as the NIA have submitted dossiers demanding a ban on PFI. The NIA dossier reportedly claimed that PFI is an offshoot of the Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) which was banned in 2001 after the 9/11 terror attack in the US. To back its case, the NIA highlighted that the same leaders have been a part of both organizations. Meanwhile, the ED revealed in its report that this outfit played a key role in mobilizing money for the anti-CAA protests. 

NIA sealed the Telangana PFI head office in Chandrayangutta, Hyderabad in connection with a case registered earlier by NIA. NIA, ED, Paramilitary along with local police sealed the PFI office.

Here is a state-wise list of PFI arrests: 

The ED has filed two charge sheets against PFI and its office-bearers before a special PMLA court in Lucknow. In February last year, the probe agency 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 KA 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.

The NIA and ED is conducting raids at PFI's training centres in Pune, Navi Mumbai and Nagpur and SDPI office in Jalna and Aurangabad. As per sources, some documents were seized from the PFI office in Pune. 

Sleuths of the NIA raided the offices of PFI and SDPI in Mangaluru early Thursday morning as part of the nationwide search by the agency against people supporting terror groups. The raid was conducted in the offices of the two organizations in the city simultaneously. Teams of NIA raided the offices at Bajpe, Nellikai Road, Kulai and Kavoor, police sources said. Two persons have been taken into custody during the raids. A strong posse of police personnel was present to provide security for the raids at various places.

Activists of SDPI and PFI staged protests in front of their offices against the raid asking the NIA officials to go back. CRPF personnel have been posted at Nellikai Road to beef up security. The road was completely closed.

The NIA is conducting searches at the PFI office in Purnia, which serves as the outfit's headquarters in the state of Bihar.

In a massive development, the Popular Front of India's Delhi head Parvez Ahmed was detained by the National Investigation Agency. 

The National Investigation Agency is conducting searches at 20 locations linked to PFI across Maharashtra.

Sources told Republic TV that 105 PFI leaders have been arrested so far. As per sources, 2 persons have been taken into custody by the PFI from the national capital. 

Four PFI leaders were taken into custody by NIA. ED raid was completed at PFI offices and leaders' residences. PFI chairman OMA Salam, Kerala state chief CP Mohammed Basheer, national secretary VP Nazarudheen and national council member Professor P Koya were taken into custody.

As many as 300 NIA officers are involved in the raids at over 80 locations across the country. According to NIA sources, searches are underway in 10 states and at least 100 cadres of PFI have been detained. The raids are being carried out by the NIA in coordination with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) along with state police.

The National Investigation Agency on Thursday morning launched a massive nationwide search operation against groups, including PFI, and individuals allegedly supporting terrorists. In the "largest ever investigation till date", the searches are taking place at the premises of those allegedly involved in terror funding, organising training camps and radicalising people to join proscribed organizations, officals said. "The raids are taking place at the homes of national, state, and local leaders of PFI. The state committee office is also being raided.

In Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram, raids are being carried out at the houses of PFI state, and district level leaders including the house of OMA Salam, PFI chairman in Manjeri, Malappuram district and at PFI offices from midnight. In Tamil Nadu, NIA searches are underway at the houses of PFI office bearers in Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Ramnad, Dindugal, Theni, and Thenkasi. Searches are also being conducted at the Chennai PFI State Head office at Purasawakkam. Raids are also being conducted in Telangana, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, among other states, said sources.

Breaking its silence on the raids, the PFI stated, "We strongly protest the fascist regime's moves to use agencies to silence dissenting voices". Meanwhile, PFI and SDPI workers have launched a protest against the raids in Mangaluru. The Karnataka Police have detained several protesting workers.

The NIA is conducting searches at 8 places in the Madurai city area including Villapuram, Gomatipuram, and Kulamangalam.