Fresh crackdown on PFI: NIA conducts pan-India raids, more than 50 detained

Raids were being conducted after NIA got fresh information during questioning of arrested PFI members

September 27, 2022

Second round of NIA raids on PFI is underway in 8 states

After a massive crackdown on the Popular Front of India (PFI) last week, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is again conducting raids in over eight states and at multiple locations linked to the PFI members on Tuesday early morning. Sources said that more than 50 people have been detained and the arrests will depend on their questioning.

Raids were being conducted after the NIA got fresh information during the questioning of the arrested PFI members. NIA sources said that in a few states the local police were conducting raids at their instruction.

Raids were going on in Aurangabad, Jalana, and Parbhani districts of Maharashtra; Simoga, Bidar, Ballari, Hubli, Kalburgi districts of Karnataka; Nagarbera of Assam; Bulandshahr’s Kasba Syana, Sarurpur and Lisari Gate area of Meerut in Western Uttar Pradesh; and at several places in Delhi.

Hiren Nath, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) (Special Branch), Assam said that they have detained five PFI members from the Nagarbera area. The DGP said that the raids were going on in many districts of Assam.

As many as 11 persons were held by the NIA in its recent raid. In Western Uttar Pradesh, four persons have been taken into custody. In Maharashtra, the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) and the local police were conducting raids in Aurangabad, Jalana, and Parbhani districts. In Delhi, raids were on in Nizamuddin, Rohini, Jamia, and in Shahin Bagh.

“We are grilling them. As of now, no arrest memos have been filed against any of them. They are PFI members. We got fresh inputs after the questioning of earlier arrested PFI members and are conducting raids,” the source said.

“Raids are on in Simoga, Bidar, Ballari, Hubli, and Kalburgi area of Karnataka. Five have been detained from Simoga, four from Ballari, two from Hubli, and six have been detained from the Kolar district. Bidar district president and Kalburgi media coordinator of PFI have been detained,” the source said.

Earlier in the week, more than 106 members of PFI were arrested by the NIA and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Lookout Circulars were also issued against two of the PFI members on Monday.

As of now, the NIA is investigating a total of 19 PFI-related cases. The NIA has said that around 46 accused, were arrested and later convicted in 2010-2011. Around 355 PFI members have already been charge-sheeted by the agency.

[With Inputs from IANS]

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