Kerala: NIA Raids 56 Locations of PFI Leaders, Arrests 4 Members

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided 56 locations associated with the second-rung leadership of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) across 12 districts in Kerala in a sweeping pre-dawn operation on Thursday.

Seven state committee members, zonal heads, physical training instructors and other PFI members were raided and four were arrested. An advocate practising at the Kerala High Court was also arrested.

This is the fourth raid on PSI members since the first raid in September, following which the organisation was banned for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The NIA suspects the organisation of trying to re-establish itself under a different name and mobilising funds. According to a report in the regional media, a PFI regional leader went underground in Pathanamthitta after the information about the raid was reportedly leaked.

The raid also intended to investigate the PFI’s link to murder cases registered in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka since 2016. The state police were also part of the raiding teams, as per reports.

Most of the leading PFI members are on the run following the ban and the seizure of documents and weapons during the earlier raids.

EARLY MORNING RAIDS

The raids at the 56 locations across the districts, except Idukki and Kasargod, began by 4 am. Thirteen locations in Ernakulam, nine in Kannur and seven in Malappuram districts while others in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode and Wayanad were raided.

As per a report in The Hindu citing the presence of income tax officials in the raiding parties, the NIA was looking for private financial information, including tax filing, of PFI members.

The NIA had earlier accused the PFI of mobilising funds under the guise of a non-governmental organisation, charity and human rights activism.

‘BAN NOT A SOLUTION’

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in the state has sealed offices and detained PFI members following the ban, but parties form both the ruling and Opposition alliance have raised doubts over any positive outcome of banning organisations.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary MV Govindan claimed that such bans would only aggravate and strengthen extremist organisations and no ideology can be eliminated through such actions.

The Congress leadership referred to the ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) as an example of a failed attempt to curb extremism. Opposition leader VD Satheesan said that both the PFI and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are two sides of the same coin.

With the ban on PFI, all its frontal organisations—Rehab India Foundation , Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation, National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala, were also banned.