A single address in Kerala’s Malappuram has emerged as the source of maximum arrests made in the NIA-led multi-agency raids on September 22 against radical Islamic outfit Popular Front of India.
The centre — known for congregations, cultural gatherings and educational activities — was among 93 locations linked to the PFI raided by the National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate and state police forces. More than 100 leaders and functionaries of the outfit were arrested in the raids for allegedly supporting terror activities, of which the NIA arrested 45. The centre in question accounts for most arrests overall and the NIA count.
Sources told News18 that most PFI leaders were found in and around this location in Malappuram town when the raids began in the wee hours of September 22. Many people had gathered in the big hall in the early hours, they added.
“The centre had been under the scanner for the past few weeks due to movement of suspects. The centre, which has a hall, rooms and other facilities, is famous for local congregation and educational activities. Agencies caught the highest number of PFI leaders and members from in and around this centre in Malappuram,” a senior official told News18 on condition of anonymity.
The investigation will now focus on why the leaders were gathered at the centre so early. Sources said that before the raids, the area around the centre was secured. With the help of local police and paramilitary personnel, the agencies entered the building on the intervening night of September 21 and 22. The teams found the people in the hall and other rooms, sources said. They were then identified and taken into custody by different agencies. Given the size of the group arrested, the agencies had to reportedly coordinate with each other even for identification.
Pursuing five separate cases, the NIA made a total of 45 arrests on September 22, of which 19 were made in Kerala, 11 in Tamil Nadu, seven in Karnataka, four in Andhra Pradesh, two in Rajasthan and 1 each in Uttar Pradesh and Telangana.
According to the NIA, those arrested from Kerala include OMA Salam, Jaseer KP, VP Nazarudheen Elamaram, Mohammed Basheer, Shafeer KP, E Abu Backer, Prof P Koya, EM Abdul Rahiman, Najumudeen, Sainuddeen TS, Yahiya Koya Thangal, K Muhammedali, CT Sulaiman, PK Usman alias Pallikkaranjalil Kunjippu Usman, Karamana Ashraf Moulavi, Sadiq Ahmed, Shihas, Ansar P and MM Mujeeb.
Last week’s raids were conducted across 15 states — Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar and Manipur.
According to an NIA statement: “These searches were conducted at the houses and offices of the top PFI leaders and members in connection with five cases registered by the NIA following continued inputs and evidence that the PFI leaders and cadres were involved in funding of terrorism and terrorist activities, organising training camps for providing armed training and radicalising people to join banned organisations.”
Officials said criminal and violent acts allegedly carried out by the PFI over a period of time — such as the chopping off the hand of a college professor in Kerala in 2010, cold-blooded killings of people linked with organisations espousing other faiths, collection of explosives to target prominent people and places, support to Islamic State and destruction of public property — have had a demonstrative effect of striking terror in the minds of the citizens.
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