New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS): The premier investigation agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is currently probing various cases against the Popular Front of India (PFI).
So far, NIA has charge-sheeted more than 100 PFI activists on terror as well as criminal charges over various offences, including linkage with ISIS, Professor's hand-chopping case, Narath arms training case among others.
Apart from NIA, Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also probing the PFI in multiple cases including its role in the anti-CAA stir and the North East Delhi riots and a foreign funding case in 2018.
ED is also probing alleged links between the PFI and Bhim Army and their role in funding Dalit unrest in North India.
Recently, ED conducted nationwide raids on premises linked to the radical outfit, PFI in connection with multiple cases of money laundering. The searches covered 26 locations across nine states, including premises associated with PFI Chairman O. M. Abdul Salam and National Secretary Nasarudheen Elamaram.
In addition, the state police of different states, including Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala is currently probing hundreds of cases against PFI and its sister organisations. Charge sheets are yet to be filed in many of those cases.
In the Bengaluru riots case, the NIA recently arrested 17 members of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and PFI.
The cases pertain to large-scale rioting armed with lethal weapons causing injuries to police personnel, destruction of public and private property, including D.J. Halli and K.G. Halli police station buildings and public and private vehicles.
The riot led to fear and panic in the nearby areas and was intended to cause terror in society, as per intelligence sources. The NIA took over the robe on September 21, 2020.
To date, 187 persons with linkage to PFI and SDPI have been arrested so far. NIA said the investigations revealed that the SDPI leaders, including Md Sharieff, President Bengaluru district, Imran Ahmed, President K. G. Halli ward along with other senior leaders like Rubah Waqas, Shabbar Khan and Shaik Ajmal had conducted meetings on the evening of August 11.