Daijiworld Media Network – Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 6: In a sweeping crackdown, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids on the offices of the Socialist Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in three major Kerala districts—Thiruvananthapuram, Malappuram, and Kozhikode—on Thursday morning. These operations are part of a larger investigation spanning 10 states, covering 14 locations across the country.
The latest enforcement action follows the recent arrest of SDPI’s National President, M.K. Faizy, in a money laundering case linked to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). Faizy was apprehended at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on March 3 and later presented before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court at Patiala House. The court granted the ED six days of custodial interrogation.
Authorities suspect that the SDPI received ?4.07 crore from the PFI through illegal hawala transactions, allegedly distributing these funds to its units across India.
In Thiruvananthapuram, a seven-member ED team from the Kochi unit, escorted by armed central security forces, arrived in private vehicles to raid the SDPI state committee office. The operation reportedly caught Kerala Police and state intelligence agencies off guard, as they had no prior knowledge of the search.
Simultaneously, in Malappuram, an ED team from Chennai conducted a raid at the SDPI’s district office, located in a rented building. Another team carried out a similar operation in Kozhikode.
Founded in 2009, the SDPI has long been suspected of having close ties with the PFI, which was banned by the Union Government in 2022 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for alleged anti-national activities. While the SDPI has consistently denied any direct affiliation with the PFI, claiming to be an independent political entity, Faizy’s arrest and the fresh ED raids have reignited scrutiny over the party’s financial dealings.
Notably, Faizy was a former PFI member before joining the SDPI in 2009. Over the years, he climbed the party ranks, eventually securing the position of national president.