Popular Front of India encouraged youth to join LeT, ISIS, Al-Qaeda: NIA

NEW DELHI: Popular Front of India (PFI), its office-bearers, members and affiliates in Kerala encouraged vulnerable youths to join terrorist organizations including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or Daesh and Al-Qaida and also conspired to establish Islamic rule in India by committing a terrorist act, reveals the NIA remand copy submitted before a special court in Kerala.

The Central agency also accused the PFI's members and cadres operating from Kerala of conspiring 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.

"The brief facts of the case is that the Popular Front of India (PFI), its office-bearers, members and affiliates in Kerala have conspired to indulge in unlawful activities by creating enmity between members of different religions and groups, prejudicial to maintenance of harmony, with an intention to disrupt public tranquillity and cause disaffection against India, propagating alternative justice delivery system justifying the use of criminal force, causing alarm and fear amongst the general public, encourages vulnerable youths to join terrorist organizations including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)/Daesh and Al-Qaida and also conspired to establish Islamic rule in India by committing a terrorist act as a part of violent jihad," reads the remand copy.

As per NIA, the PFI also spreads "disaffection 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 a case at its Kochi branch on September 19 under sections 120B and 153A of IPC, Section 13, 18, 18B, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against PFI and 13 others - Karamana Ashraf Moulavi, Abdul Sathar (state general secretary of PFI, Kerala), Sadiq Ahmed (district secretary of PFI, Pathanamthitta), Shihas (zonal secretary of PFI), Ansari P (joint convener of PFI, Nadakkal division), MM Mujeeb (divisional convener of PFl, Nadackal Erattupetta division), Najumudeen (divisional convener of PFI Mundakkayam), Sainuddeen TS (district secretary of PFI, Kottayam), PK Usman alias Pallikkaranjalil Kunjippu Usman alias Usman Perumpilavu (member, NGA, PFI), Yahiya Koya Thangal (state executive council member of PFI, Kerala), CA Rauf (state secretary of media and PR wings of PFI, Kerala), K Muhammedali alias Kunhappo (national in-charge, expansion wing of PFI), and CT Sulaiman (district president of PFI, Kasaragod).

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 organization 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.

"The seized documents also contain highly incriminating materials related to the targeting of prominent leaders of a particular community," mentions the document accessed by ANI.

"The hit list seized clearly shows that the PFI, which is working through its leaders, members and associates have gone far ahead in creating atrocities among the community," added the agency.

Citing these inputs, the NIA further informed the court that more investigation is required in this aspect not only to obtain more evidence, but also to prevent bloodbaths in society.

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 terrorize 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 initial scrutiny of the materials collected and investigation conducted also points out the incriminating roles played by the accused in this case. A detailed probe is required to be conducted against each accused on their role and overt activities and more evidence have to be collected."

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 - Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar and Manipur.

These searches were conducted at the houses and offices of the top PFI leaders and members in connection with five cases registered by the NIA following continued inputs and evidence that the PFI leaders and cadres were involved in the funding of terrorism and terrorist activities, organizing training camps for providing armed training and radicalizing people to join banned organizations. (ANI)

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