Kerala: NIA searches 56 locations in PFI conspiracy case

In a fresh crackdown on the Popular Front of India, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday started a massive search operation at 56 locations across Kerala targeting second rung leaders of the banned Muslim-managed outfit.

According to sources, the raid was in the wake of PFI leaders’ plan to regroup the outfit in some other name, reported Hindustan Times. The Kerala-born fundamentalist outfit which later spread its tentacles to different parts of the country was banned by the Union government in September this year.

While eight locations linked to the leaders of banned PFI were raided in Ernakulam, six premises were under radar in Thiruvananthapuram, as per media reports. The raid started at around 4am and was still continuing at the time of writing this.

The raids were conducted in coordination with state police following specific inputs against PFI cadres who are accused of their involvement in several terrorist acts and the murder of several persons, including Sanjith (Kerala, November 2021), V-Ramalingam (Tamil Nadu, 2019), Nandu (Kerala, 2021), Abhimanyu (Kerala, 2018), Bibin (Kerala, 2017), Sharath (Kamataka, 2017), R.Rudresh (Kamataka, 2016), Praveen Puyari (Karnataka, 2016), and Sasi Kumar (Tamil Nadu, 2016).

The house of former PFI state committee member Nissar was also raided. A bag and several phones were seized from there. Mobile phones were also confiscated from former PFI district president’s residence, according to a local news website. “Several leaders were under the agency’s observation for the past months. Further proceedings like arrests will be undertaken only after detailed investigation,” the NIA said.

The ministry of home affairs had earlier said that the criminal activities and brutal murders have been carried out by the PFI cadres for the sole objective of “disturbing public peace and tranquility and creating a reign of terror in the public mind”, according to Hindustan Times.

-INDIA NEWS STREAM