NIA files chargesheets against PFI Leaders & Cadres in Kerala and Tamil Nadu

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday i.e. March 17, filed two chargesheets against a total of 68 Popular Front of India (PFI) leaders, cadres, and members in two separate cases in Kochi (Kerala) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu).

The chargesheets stated that the two states where the PFI is most active relate to separate criminal conspiracies hatched by them to drive a wedge between people of different communities by radicalizing impressionable Muslim youth, arming them, and raising funds to carry out acts of terror and violence with the ultimate goal of establishing Islamic rule in India by 2047.

The Kerala PFI case was registered in September 2022 by the NIA to probe the criminal conspiracy hatched by the PFI members and cadres.

Additionally, the NIA in its Kerala chargesheet included the connected case of the brutal killing of a Palakkad resident Sreenivasan, who was hacked to death by armed PFI cadres. NIA investigations had shown some of the accused in the PFI criminal conspiracy case (September 2022) to have been involved in Sreenivasan killing too.

The accused in the two chargesheets have been charged under various provisions of IPC, UAPA, and the Arms Act. The NIA has also attached 17 properties as they were identified as ‘proceeds of terrorism’ and froze 18 bank accounts after taking over the case in 2022.

“Investigations in the case had revealed that the accused had been conspiring to drive a wedge between people of different communities and groups living in India, spread the concept of violent extremism and Jihad in India with the objective of dismembering the country and taking it over by establishing an Islamic Rule in India by 2047. To achieve these objectives, PFi had established various Wings & units, such as ‘Reporters Wing’, ‘Physical and Arms Training Wing’ and ‘Service Teams’”, the NIA press release read.

It also stated that PFI was using its various campuses, facilities, and infrastructure to impart arms training to selected cadres in the guise of Physical Education, Yoga Training, etc, and also established a ‘Reporters Team’ and ‘Services Team or Hit Team’ to eliminate their “targets”. It further stated that whenever necessary, PFI pressed into service its loyal and highly trained cadres of their 'Service Teams' as 'executors' of the Orders pronounced by their parallel courts, known as "Dar-ul-Qaza".

In a separate case registered and investigated by the NIA branch office in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the NIA filed a chargesheet against 10 accused on Friday. “This case was also registered in September 202 to probe the criminal conspiracy, hatched by the PFI and its leaders to divide people based on religious affiliations through radicalization and weapons-training of impressionable Muslim youth to launch an armed struggle against the government of India with the object of establishing Islamic Rule in India by 2047”, the press release read.

The agency’s press release stated that some of the prominent PFI leaders and office bearers chargesheeted in the case include Abdul Sathar (State General Secretary), Yahiya Koyal Thangal (State Executive Member), Shihas MH (Ernakulam Zonal Secretary), along with District Secretaries/President Sainudhen TS, Sadik AP, CT Sulaiman, and PK Usman (State General Secretary SDPI) in Kerala.

In the Tamil Nadu case, the chargesheet was filed before the NIA Special Court, Chennai against 10 named accused, including Khalid Mohammed (State Vice President of PFI). The case was also registered in September 2022.

“NIA investigations in the case had shown that the accused had conducted radicalization programs to motivate, instigate and recruit gullible Muslim youth, who were then provided weapons training in the training camps. PFI cadres used to carry out instructions of PFI office bearers and leaders to conduct recce and attack adversaries and commit unlawful and violent activities”, the press release read.