The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting searches at more than a dozen locations across the country, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, in a new crackdown on cadres of the banned Popular Front of India.
The NIA is investigating 12 locations in Bihar, two in Uttar Pradesh, and one each in Punjab’s Ludhiana and Goa. The agency is conducting raids in Bihar’s Darbhanga Urdu market.
According to ANI, the team has arrived to investigate the activities of the prohibited PFI organisation.
Dr. Sarik Raza, a dentist in Darbhanga’s Urdu Bazaar, and one Mehboob, a resident of Shankarpur village in the Singhwara police station area, have been raided in connection with the banned organisation PFI.
The NIA team raided the Kuanwa village of Chakia subdivision in the East Champaran district in Motihari, Bihar.
A raid is taking place at Sajjad Ansari’s home in connection with a PFI case. According to ANI, Sajjad has been working in Dubai for the past 14 months. According to ANI, the NIA team took Sajjad’s Aadhaar card, PAN card, and some documents from his home.
The Union Home Ministry declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliates a ‘Unlawful Association’ in September of last year.
It had stated that PFI and its associates, affiliates, or fronts had been found to be involved in serious offences such as terrorism and its financing, targeted gruesome killings, disregarding the country’s constitutional set-up, disturbing public order, and so on, all of which are detrimental to the country’s integrity, security, and sovereignty. The Home Ministry stated that it felt it was necessary to put a stop to the organization’s nefarious activities.
It declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates, affiliates, or fronts, including the Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala, to be a “unlawful association” under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.