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Over 100 PFI members arrested in NIA, ED raids in 15 states: Key Events | India News – Times of India

September 22, 2022
Bharat Times

New Delhi: National Investigation Agency ,NIA) on Thursday launched a massive nationwide search operation against groups including the Popular Front of India.PFI), and persons allegedly supporting terrorists.
“Today searches were conducted by ED, NIA and state police forces at 93 places in 15 states of top PFI leaders and members in 5 cases.” NIA said.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting over the massive crackdown on the ‘radical’ Islamist organization PFI by the National Investigation Agency in several states of India.
Earlier in the day, the National Investigation Agency and the Enforcement Directorate arrested over 100 activists, including top leaders of the Islamic organization, during a nationwide anti-terrorist operation.
Condemning the joint anti-terror raids against its leaders, the PFI said it would “never surrender” over actions taken by a ‘totalitarian regime’ and alleged that the agency’s claims were aimed at “creating an atmosphere of terror”. .
Issuing a statement against this, the National Executive Council (NEC) of PFI said, “NEC condemns the national wide raids by NIA and ED and the unjust arrests and harassment and witch-hunts of its national and state leaders across India.” members and supporters of the organization.”

According to sources, a total of 106 Popular Front of India (PFI) cadres were arrested on Thursday in a joint operation conducted by National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate and state police forces in 11 states at various places in the country.
The organization has called for a morning-to-evening strike in Kerala on Friday to express its strong protest against this act of central agencies. The strike will be from 6 am to 6 pm.

Here are the other developments in the story so far –

  1. The searches were conducted in 11 states in a joint operation launched by the National Investigation Agency with the Enforcement Directorate and the state police, in which a total of 106 PFI cadres were arrested.
  2. The states and union territories where the raids were carried out include Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Puducherry.
  3. Of the arrested PFI leaders, 22 were from Kerala, 20-20 from Maharashtra and Karnataka, 10 in Tamil Nadu, 10 in Assam, 8 in Uttar Pradesh, 5 in Andhra Pradesh, 4 in Madhya Pradesh, 3-3 from Delhi and Went. Puducherry and 2 in Rajasthan.
  4. The operation began late at around 1 pm and learned to end by 5 am, involving over 1,500 personnel from the state police, Central Armed Police Forces and officials of the NIA and ED. Several incriminating documents, over 100 mobile phones, laptops and other material have been seized by the raiding teams.
  5. A Mumbai court sent five PFI activists to the custody of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad till September 26.
  6. Anti-terrorist search operation launched premises Number of people allegedly involved in radicalizing people to fund terror, organize training camps and join banned organisations.
  7. The central probe agency termed the ongoing raids, mainly in South India, as the “biggest” investigative process “so far”.
  8. The PFI said in a statement that the houses of its national, state and local leaders are being raided.
  9. “We strongly oppose the steps of the fascist regime to use agencies to suppress voices of dissent,” the organization said in its statement. Officer Statement.
  10. The National Investigation Agency on Thursday morning seized and sealed the office of the Popular Front of India in the city.
  11. PFI activists protest across Kerala against the raids conducted at their organization offices. They took out marches at places where raids were conducted and raised slogans against the Centre.
  12. PFI’s Delhi chief Parvez Ahmed was arrested on Thursday morning as the NIA continued searches across the country.
  13. In Karnataka, police later detained PFI and SDPI activists protesting the NIA raid in Mangaluru.
  14. In Assam too, the police have detained nine people belonging to the Popular Front of India. Four of the nine people were detained from Nagarbera area of ​​Kamrup district.
  15. Earlier this month, the NIA conducted raids at 40 places in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and detained four persons in connection with a PFI case. In the operation, the NIA had seized incriminating material including digital devices, documents, two daggers and Rs 8,31,500 in cash. According to the NIA, the accused were “organizing camps for providing training to commit terrorist acts and promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion”.
  16. The PFI was started in 2006 after the merger of three Muslim organizations in Kerala after the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. These three organizations were National Development Front of Kerala, Karnataka Forum for Dignity and Manitha Neeti Pasari of Tamil Nadu.
  17. PFI describes itself as a neo-social movement committed to empower people from minority communities, Dalits and other weaker sections of the society.

(with inputs from agencies)