In 15 states, on Thursday, September 22, 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) led a multi-agency operation that resulted in the arrest of up to 45 PFI leaders and members for allegedly sponsoring terrorism, according to officials. At 93 locations in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar, and Manipur; NIA and Enforcement Directorate (ED) with the help of State Police forces together conducted the coordinated searches.
According to a statement released by the government, “these searches were carried out at the homes and offices of the top PFI leaders and members in connection with five cases registered by the NIA. As a result of continued inputs and evidence showed that the PFI leaders and cadres were involved in the funding of terrorism and terrorist activities, organizing training camps for providing armed training, and radicalizing people to join banned organizations.”
The raids, which have been called the “largest-ever investigation procedure to date,” are when the arrests were made, according to the officials. Incriminating documents, money, razor-sharp weapons, and several digital devices have all been recovered during the searches, which have been dubbed the “largest-ever investigation procedure to date.”
NIA raids on PFI | Several accused detained, produced before Delhi's Patiala House Court
Over 106 PFI members arrested so far in multiple raids carried out by a joint team of NIA, ED & state police across 11 states. pic.twitter.com/9bTOA6lIIi
— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2022
“Over the past few years, numerous criminal proceedings have been filed by various states against the PFI and its leaders and members due to their participation in numerous violent activities. Criminal acts of violence committed by PFI, such as the amputation of a college professor’s hand, the cold-blooded killing of individuals affiliated with groups advocating for other faiths, the gathering of explosives to target notable individuals and locations, support for the Islamic State, and the destruction of public property, have clearly had the effect of inspiring fear in the minds of the populace “said the official statement.
Today searches were conducted by ED, NIA & State Police forces across 93 locations in 15 states on top PFI leaders & members in 5 cases registered on inputs of involvement of PFI leaders&cadres in funding of terrorism & terrorist activities & radicalising people: NIA pic.twitter.com/PydX99szcK
— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2022
Home Minister Amit Shah’s Statement Regarding The PFI Update-
According to sources, the current searches at locations connected to the Popular Front of India and action against terror suspects were reportedly discussed during a meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday. Top officials who attended the high-level conference included National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, and Director General of National Investigation Agency (NIA) Dinkar Gupta.
An official claimed that Shah reviewed the actions taken against suspected terrorists and Popular Front of India (PFI) activists around the nation. A multi-agency operation led by the NIA on Thursday resulted in the arrest of 106 PFI activists in 15 states for allegedly aiding terrorist operations across the nation in nearly simultaneous raids across the length and breadth of the country.
The maximum number of arrests were made in these states:
- Kerala (22)
- Maharashtra and Karnataka (20 each),
- Tamil Nadu (10),
- Assam (9),
- Uttar Pradesh (8),
- Andhra Pradesh (5),
- Madhya Pradesh (4),
- Puducherry and Delhi (3 each)
- Rajasthan (2).
Total 106 PFI members arrested so far in multiple raids carried out by jt team of NIA, ED & state police across 11 states incl Andhra Pradesh (5), Assam (9), Delhi (3), Karnataka (20), Kerala (22), MP (4), Maharashtra (20), Puducherry (3), Rajasthan (2), TN (10) & UP (8): Sources pic.twitter.com/QMd9geHHbW
— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2022
History Of PFI-
Delhi serves as the organizational hub for the Popular Front of India, which was founded in Kerala in 2006. It asserts to work toward a neo-social movement ostensibly for the empowerment of India’s underprivileged groups. However, law enforcement organizations frequently accuse it of encouraging extreme Islam.
In the meantime, PFI has organized a statewide “hartal” for Kerala on September 23 to protest the searches of their organization’s headquarters, leaders’ homes, and other locations.
According to a PFI statement from Kerala, the state committee believed that the leaders’ detention was a result of “state-sponsored terrorism.”
A Abdul Sathar, Kerala General Secretary, PFI, declared that on September 23, “a hartal will be observed in the state in opposition to the RSS-controlled fascist government’s attempt to muzzle dissenting voices by utilizing the central agencies.”
(With bureau inputs)
Pingback: PFI Banned For 5 Years, Centre Cites Terror Links. Eight Front Organisations Including CFI, Banned For Five Years - Politics Land