NIA, ED and state police carries out searches across nation, 106 PFI members arrested.

On September 22, Thursday, the National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate, and the state police in a joint operation carried out searches across the nation at the houses and offices of the top Popular Front of India leaders and members.

According to the Press release by NIA, it carried out searches in 93 locations in 15 states of India viz Kerala (39), Tamil Nadu (16), Karnataka (12), Andhra Pradesh (7), Telangana (1), Uttar Pradesh (2), Rajasthan (4), Delhi (2), Assam (1), Madhya Pradesh (1), Maharashtra (4), Goa (1), West Bengal (1), Bihar (1) and Manipur (1).

The searches were carried out in connection with 5 cases registered by the NIA following inputs and evidence that the PFI leaders and cadres’ involvement in funding terrorism and terrorist activities, organizing training camps for providing armed training, and radicalizing people to join banned organisations.

A large number of criminal cases have been registered by different states over the last few years against the PFI and its leaders and members for their involvement in many violent acts, the release said.

The release further stated that the various criminal acts which were carried out by PFI included “chopping off the hand of a college professor, cold-blooded killings of persons associated with organizations espousing other faiths, collection of explosives to target prominent people and places, support to Islamic State and destruction of public property. They have had a demonstrative effect of striking terror in the minds of the citizens.”

Further, it has been reported that incriminating documents, cash, sharp-edged weapons and a large number of digital devices (over 100 mobile phones and laptops) were seized during the search operation.

Out of the 106 people, 45 were arrested by NIA in connection with 5 cases registered by NIA, 19 from Kerala, 11 from Tamil Nadu, 7 from Karnataka, 4 from Andhra Pradesh, 2 from Rajasthan, and 1 each from UP and Telengana, while 61 were arrested by ED and state police forces.

According to ANI reports, the operation is the largest-ever investigation process done till date. The raids were conducted early in the morning around 3:30 am and ended

Following the NIA raids, the Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) activists staged protests in many parts of the states of the country like Kerala, Karnataka’s Mangaluru where the PFI and SDPI workers chant slogans claiming that RSS has sent these agencies as they are against the Muslim community.

“We know everything that RSS has sent you,” shouts the activists.

The members have further said and threatened that the protests will intensify in the coming days, blocking roads and raising slogans such as “NIA GO BACK” in many places.

The Kerala PFI, on the other hand, called for a state-wide protest tomorrow against the raid and arrest by NIA. The NIA has arrested the highest in Kerala among the others.

PFI was formed in 2006 and claims to be a neo-social movement that strives for the empowerment of marginalized sections of India. The organization took to Twitter and writes, the PFI condemns the raid and harassment of its leaders by NIA and ED.