Popular Front Of India Faces Round 2 Of Raids Across States

Days after multi agency raids on top leaders and functionaries of Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) leading to over a hundred arrests, a second round of nationwide crackdown on the organisation is underway.

Investigative agencies are conducting operations across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi.

PFI has been accused of terror funding, providing weapons training to Muslim youth, and radicalising them to join terrorist organisations.

The action is reportedly based on intelligence inputs provided by the National Investigation Agency.

The Thane Crime Branch in a late night operation arrested four PFI activists from Mumbra for allegedly indulging in unlawful activities, promoting enmity among communities, and waging a war against the country.

There are reports of raids going on in Aurangabad and Solapur as well.

The local police in Karnataka, in an early morning raid, took over 40 PFI members into custody. The houses of PFI leaders were raided across the state including in Bagalkote, Bidar, Chamarajanagar, Chitradurga, Ramanagara, Mangaluru, Koppal, Bellari, Kolar, Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Vijayapura districts.

More than 75 PFI and SDPI workers and leaders were also taken into preventive custody in Karnataka, anticipating violent protests.

In Assam, 21 PFI leaders have been arrested across 8 districts in an early morning raid by the state police. They were detained from Nagarbera area of Kamrup district, Goalpara, Barpeta, Dhubri, Baksa, and Darrang. There are reports of raids in Udalguri and Karimganj as well.

In Delhi, raids have been reported in Shaheen Bagh and Nizamuddin areas.