PFI encouraged youth to join terrorist organisations to establish Islamic rule through terrorism: NIA

Kochi, September 24: Popular Front of India (PFI) members in Kerala encouraged vulnerable youths to join terrorist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or Daesh and Al-Qaida reveals NIA remand copy submitted before a special court.

 

 

Moreover, the Central agency also alleged PFI of “conspiring to establish Islamic rule by committing terrorist acts as part of violent jihad”, The NIA accused the PFI's members and cadres operating from Kerala to conspire to indulge in "unlawful activities by creating enmity between members of different religions and groups, prejudicial to maintenance of harmony, with the intention to disrupt public tranquillity and cause disaffection against India".

 

The revelations came in an application for judicial remand of the accused Karamana Ashraf Moulavi, national in charge of PFI's Education Wing, and others. The case is being investigated by the NIA's Kochi branch. As per NIA, the PFI also spreads "dis-affection against India by wrongful interpretation of government policies to the particular section of people to create hatred against the state and its machineries".

 

 

 

Considering the nature and gravity of the offence, the NIA later mentioned, the Ministry of Home Affairs' Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalization (CTCR) division issued an order dated September 16 directing the agency to investigate the matter. Accordingly, the NIA registered the case at its Kochi branch on September 19 under sections 120B and 153A of IPC, Section 13, 18, 18B, 38 and 39 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against PFI and 13 others namely.

 

During the investigation, the NIA further mentions in the copy, "reliable information has been received that, some important documents, digital devices and articles which are evidence for the purpose of investigation and prosecution of the case and which will lead to unraveling the larger conspiracy behind the crime and also to identify and secure other suspects involved in the crime, are available in the various places including the houses/offices and other places related to all the accused named in the FIR, the organisation PFI and suspects in this case".

 

Accordingly, after obtaining search warrant under section 93 CrPC from the special court in Kerala, the NIA said, searches were conducted at the residential premises of all the FIR named accused as well as the offices of Popular Front of India on September 22 and various articles and documents were seized.

 

During the investigation, based on the materials collected, the NIA further said, it has been disclosed that the "accused named in the FIR were actively involved in the organized crimes and Unlawful Activities repeatedly to terrorise other religious sections of the society besides creating fear in the mind of the general public based on the larger conspiracy hatched among themselves and others".

 

The revelations came as the NIA, ED and state police forces arrested 106 PFI leaders, cadres and others on Thursday during searches carried out across India. The NIA carried out searches in 93 locations of 15 states.

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