PFI encouraging vulnerable youths to join terrorist organisations, says NIA

Agency’s remand report says the organisation conspired to establish Islamic rule in India by committing terrorist acts as a part of violent jihad

Updated - September 24, 2022 12:04 pm IST

Published - September 23, 2022 06:59 pm IST - KOCHI

FIle photo of a protest march organised by the Popular Front of India in Thiruvananthapuram.

FIle photo of a protest march organised by the Popular Front of India in Thiruvananthapuram. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Photo Library

Office-bearers, members and affiliates of the Popular Front of India (PFI) in Kerala encouraged vulnerable youths to join terrorist organisations, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Islamic State/Daesh and Al-Qaeda and conspired to establish Islamic rule in India by committing terrorist acts as a part of violent jihad, according to the remand report filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) before a Kochi court on Friday.

The remand report was filed to seek the custody of 10 people who were arrested on Thursday following raids conducted across the State.

Alternative system

The report noted that the activists conspired to propagate an alternative justice delivery system to justify the use of criminal force and caused alarm and fear among the general public. They 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, it said.

It was revealed that the accused were actively involved in organised crimes and unlawful activities repeatedly to terrorise other religious sections of society besides creating fear in the mind of general public, according to the NIA.

The accused

The agency had arrested Karamana Ashraf Moulavi, Sadiq Ahmed, Shihas, P. Ansari, M.M. Mujeeb, Najumudeen, T.S. Sainuddeen, P.K. Usman, Yahiya Koya Thangal, K. Muhammedali following the raids.

The NIA had on September 19 booked cases against 13 people under Sections 120B and 153A of the Indian Penal Code and Section 13, 18, 18B, 38 and 39 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The documents seized during the raid on Thursday yielded incriminating materials related to the targeting of prominent leaders of a particular community.

A ‘hit-list’ seized during the raid showed that the PFI had gone far ahead in creating atrocities among the community. More investigation was required to obtain more evidence and to prevent bloodbath in society, said the agency.

The PFI was also engaged in spreading disaffection against India by wrongful interpretation of government policies to a particular section of people to create hatred against the State and its machineries, according to the report.

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