KOCHI: As part of NIA’s nationwide crackdown on PFI, 19 activists, including national leaders, were arrested from various parts of Kerala on Thursday. While eight were arrested in a case (RC 14/22) registered by Delhi unit of NIA, 11 were arrested in another case (RC 2/22) registered by NIA Kochi.
Also, two PFI workers from TN, who were arrested by Delhi unit from Kottayam on Thursday, were flown to Delhi from Kochi. Similarly, three Kannadigas and one Tamilian, arrested from Malabar in cases registered by other NIA units, were also flown to Delhi.
Though it is not the first time that PFI has had a brush with central investigation agencies that were keeping close tabs on the outfit, the scope and breadth of the nationwide pre-dawn raids has come as the biggest crackdown faced by the 16-year-old organization.
Also, raids were conducted at Unity House (PFI’s state committee office in Kozhikode) and several district committee offices. NIA seized a computer hard drive and some publications from the state committee office. Heavy security deployment was made at five locations in Kozhikode, including the Unity House, during raids.
Those arrested by Delhi unit were identified as PFI national president OMA Salam, national secretary VP Nasarudeen Elamaram, Mohammed Basheer, KP Jaseer, KP Shafeer, E Abubacker, EM Abdul Rahman and P Koya. They were flown to Delhi by air from Kozhikode.
Those arrested by Kochi unit were identified as Karamana Ashraf Moulavi, Sadiq Ahmed, Shihas, Ansari, MM Mujeeb, Najmudeen, Sainudeen TS, PK Usman, Yahiya Koya Thangal, K Mohammed Ali and CT Sulaiman. They were remanded in judicial custody for a month and shifted to Kakkanad jail.
The accused were brought to Kochi with the security cover provided by CRPF and state police. Both, NIA office and court were given security cover. Doctors were brought to NIA office for medical evaluation of the accused. Sources said the charges against them include conspiracy and various sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
A statement issued by NIA said the arrested PFI leaders and members ‘were involved in funding terrorism-terrorism activities, organizing training camps for providing armed training and radicalizing people to join banned organizations’. During the raids held on Thursday, ‘incriminating documents, cash, sharp-edged weapons, and a large number of digital devices were seized’ across India, said NIA.
Many criminal cases were registered by different states over the past few years against PFI leaders and members for their involvement in violent acts. Criminal acts carried out by PFI such as chopping the hand of a college professor, coldblooded killings of persons associated with organizations espousing other faiths, collecting explosives to target prominent places, support to IS and destruction of public property have terrorized the minds of citizen, said NIA.
Earlier in the day at Meenchanda in Kozhikode, PFI activists gathered near the state committee office to protest and disrupted traffic for 30 minutes. They blocked roads at four other locations in Kozhikode. Some blocked the NH at Puthanathani and state highway at Koottilangadi in Malappuram; they were taken into custody by the police. In Wayanad, raids were held at Noorul Islam Masjid at Mananthavady. The masjid committee said it had no links with PFI.
PFI was launched in 2006 after merging National Development Front of Kerala, Karnataka Forum for Dignity and Manitha Neethi Pasari of Tamil Nadu after Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. PFI and its political arm, SDPI, claim they have a presence in 16 states.
