The National Investigative Agency on Thursday, 22 September 2022 carried out multiple raids on the compounds of many leaders and associates of the Popular Front of India(PFI). They had raided the offices of PFI and had raided estates of many office bearers across 13 states. The operations were carried out smoothly without any allegations of violence or conflict, top government officials told CNN-News18.
Kerala | Popular Front of India (PFI) calls for a one-day state-wide strike on 23rd Sep over NIA raids and the arrest of some of its leaders.
— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2022
A special PMLA court in Lucknow has received two charge sheets from National Investigative Agency against PFI and its office holders. This is not the first time that the party is being questioned or investigated. The enforcement directorate had filed a charge sheet against the party in February last year. The charge sheet was filed both against PFI as well as its student wing Campus Front Of India(CFI) on money laundering allegations and that its members had tried to spread communal hatred and violence in the fallout of the Hathras gang rape case in 2020.
According to the latest information received over 20 party workers and leaders were arrested in Maharashtra. Police have claimed that they were engaged in “Anti-National Activities”. K A Rauf Sherif, national general secretary of CFI and a member of PFI, Atikur Rahman, Masud Ahmed, general secretary of CFI located in Delhi, Siddique Kappan, a journalist “affiliated with PFI,” and Mohammed Alam, another CFI/PFI member, are among those listed in the charge sheet.
In this context, PFI has called for “hartal” in Kerala on after the raids conducted by NIA and the suggestion by the agency on the possible terror links of the organisation.
The second charge sheet that was filed this year dealt with the party having a money laundering front in the form of a hotel based in UAE.
(With inputs from PTI)