Conducted mostly by state police teams, the raids are spread across Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra, Assam and Madhya Pradesh
NEW DELHI, Sep 27 (Agencies): More than 90 people allegedly linked with the Popular Front of India (PFI) were detained or arrested in raids across six states on Tuesday, the crackdown coming five days after similar pan-India searches against the group often accused of being linked to radical Islam.
Conducted mostly by state police teams, the raids were spread across Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra, Assam and Madhya Pradesh.
On September 22, multi-agency teams spearheaded by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested 106 leaders and activists of the PFI in 15 states for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country. The NIA is investigating 19 cases involving the PFI.
As police teams fanned out across their respective states on Tuesday, seemingly synchronised, the action was swift. While 25 people were arrested in Assam, four were arrested in Maharashtra and 30 detained in Delhi, officials said. The count of those detained in Madhya Pradesh was 21, followed by 10 in Gujarat. Besides, several people were also arrested in Karnataka.
According to officials in Assam, of the 25 PFI activists arrested in the fresh crackdown, 10 were held in Goalpara. Besides, five were nabbed in Kamrup (Rural) and three in Dhubri, followed by arrests in Barpeta, Baksa, Darrang, Udalguri and Karimganj.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier said his government had been urging the Centre to ban the outfit for allegedly creating an eco-system for terror activities. In the national capital, Delhi Police’s Special Cell carried out the searches at multiple locations, including Nizamuddin and Shaheen Bagh.
“We have conducted raids at multiple locations in the national capital, including Shaheen Bagh and Nizamuddin. So far, we have detained 30 people associated with the PFI,” a senior police officer said.
Paramilitary forces were deployed in several places in the city where the raids were conducted.
“We have taken preventive measures and as part of it, we have deployed paramilitary forces in respective areas of the districts to ensure law and order situation and maintain peace and tranquillity in the area. This is taken as a preventive measure to ensure no untoward incident takes place,” a senior police official said.
No case has been registered as the investigation is under way, police said. The operation started on Tuesday after 12.30am continued till early morning, police said.
Madhya Pradesh Police detained 21 people from eight districts for their links with the PFI, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said.
These people were detained on the basis of interrogation of the PFI activists arrested last week, Mishra, who is also the Madhya Pradesh government’s spokesperson, said.
Formed in 2006, the PFI claims to strive for a neo-social movement ostensibly for the empowerment of marginalised sections of India. It is, however, often accused by law-enforcement agencies of promoting radical Islam. The organisation was formed in Kerala and is headquartered in Delhi.
Following the mega crackdown, the PFI stares at a possible countrywide ban.
In Gujarat, at least 10 people were detained from different parts of the state in raids conducted by a joint team of the state Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the NIA.
Around 90 ‘PFI activists’ held in raids across 6 states
