New Delhi: As many as 106 PFI members, including top leaders, have been arrested on Thursday during near simultaneous raids across the length and breadth of the country by joint team of NIA, ED and state police.
The arrests were made during the raids which have been termed as the “largest-ever investigation process till date”. 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).
The Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) took to streets to protests the raids across 11 states in the country that began on midnight.
In Andhra Pradesh, SDPI workers raised slogans of “NIA Go Back” to protest against the raid by the agency at the residence of an SDPI leader in Kurnool district.
In Kerala’s Kannur, police detained PFI workers after they tried to block a road in order to protest against the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raids.
In Tamil Nadu, PFI workers protested sat on streets to protest against NIA raid at the PFI office in Chennai.
States and UTs where NIA raids are underway
NIA is carrying out raids in states including Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry among other places.
The searches are being carried out at the premises of people involved in terror funding, organising training camps, and radicalising people to join proscribed organisations.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been investigating the PFI’s alleged “financial links” on charges of fuelling the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in the country, the Delhi riots that took place in February, 2020, alleged conspiracy in the Hathras (a district in Uttar Pradesh) case of alleged gang-rape and death of a Dalit woman, and a few other instances.
In February 2021, the ED had 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 alleged Hathras gang-rape.
In the subsequent charge-sheet filed this year, the ED had claimed that a hotel based in the UAE hotel “served” as a money laundering front for the PFI.
NIA raids PFI, SDPI in Karnataka
At least 14 location in Bengaluru, Mangaluru the district headquarters town of Dakshina Kannada, Sirsi in Uttara Kannada and Kalaburagi were searched by NIA sleuths on Thursday. Offices and premises of PFI and SDPI in the city were raided by the agency simultaneously.
Many Muslim youth came near the places where the raid was going on and raised ‘NIA go back’ slogans.
They even tried to obstruct the ongoing raids. The police thwarted their attempt by taking them into preventive custody.
A strong posse of police personnel was present to provide security for the raids at various places. CRPF personnel have been posted at Nellikai Road to beef up security. The road was completely closed by CRPF officials.
News agency PTI quoted sources saying that few key SDPI and PFI activists were detained and police have seized documents, literature, computers, laptops and phones.
Meanwhile, the NIA is also investigating the murder of BJP youth wing leader Praveen Nettar at Bellare in Dakshina Kannada district on 26 July.
NIA raids in Kerala
PFI activists staged protests across Kerala against the raids carried out in their organisation offices, houses of leaders and other premises by multi-agencies led by the NIA for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country.
PFI workers took out marches to the places where the raids were carried out and raised slogans against the Centre and its investigating agencies.
PFI office-bearers, including national, state and district leaders, were taken into custody from the state by the central agencies.
NIA searches in Tamil Nadu
In Tamil Nadu too, NIA sleuths conducted raids at premises linked to PFI in districts including Chennai, Theni, Madurai, Coimbatore and Ramanathapuram and detained a number of activists for questioning.
At Cumbum in Theni district, a couple of locals who agitated against the apprehension of a PFI office-bearer by the NIA were detained by the police.
At Karumbukadai in Coimbatore, a protest was held against the NIA when the officials picked up a functionary. Police detained the protesters.
‘Unjust arrests and harassments’ : PFI
PFI has issued a statement that stated: “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 regime’s moves to use agencies to silence dissenting voices.”
PFI’s National Executive Council condemned the nationwide raids by NIA-ED and said “unjust arrests and harassments of its leaders and the witch-hunting against members and supporters of the organisation. NIA’s baseless claims are solely aimed at creating an atmosphere of terror.”
Amit Shah holds meet, discusses action against PFI and terror suspects
Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with top officials, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Thursday and have discussed the searches at premises linked to the PFI and action against terror suspects.
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.
The Union Minister is said to have took stock of the action taken against the terror suspects and activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) across the country.
With inputs from agencies
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