New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached 19 immovable properties valued at Rs. 35.43 crore on October 16 and 16 immovable properties valued at Rs. 21.13 Crore on April 16 (a total of 35 immovable properties valued at Rs. 56.56 crore) allegedly beneficially owned and controlled by Popular Front of India (PFI) in the name of various trusts, companies and individuals.
In a press statement on Friday the federal agency said that it initiated investigation against the office bearers, members and cadres of PFI under PMLA, 2002 on the basis of various FIRs registered by the NIA, Delhi and other law enforcement agencies.
Investigation revealed that the office bearers, members and cadres of Popular Front of India (PFI), were allegedly conspiring and raising/collecting funds from within India and abroad through banking channels, hawala, donations etc. for committing and financing terrorist acts across India.
The agency has further said that as regards quantum of proceeds of crime funds raised by PFI in India and abroad by using unlawful means were deposited in 29 bank accounts of PFI across the country located in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir and Manipur.
The funds collected through unlawful means and dummy donors by PFI in cash or through bank account qualified as Proceeds of Crime which amounts to Rs. 94 Crore, the agency said.
So far 26 members and cadres of PFI have been arrested by ED and 9 Prosecution Complaints (equivalent of a chargesheet) have been filed in the period February 2021 to May 2024.
The agency has further said that its investigation has revealed that PFI had more than 13,000 active members in Singapore and Gulf countries including Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.
PFI has formed well defined District Executive Committees (DECs) for the Non-Resident Muslim diaspora living in the Gulf Countries, which was tasked with collection of funds, the press statement reads.
“Each DEC was given a target of several crores of rupees for funds collection. The funds which were raised abroad were transferred to India through circuitous banking channels, as well as through underground hawala channels so that their origins could not be traced and thereafter handed over to PFI and its office bearers to finance their terrorist and unlawful activities”, the agency said.
It further claimed that its investigation has revealed that the real objectives of PFI are different from the ones stated in its constitution. “Real objectives of PFI include formation of an organization for carrying out an Islamic movement in India through Jihad, though PFI masquerades itself as a social movement. PFI claimed use of non-violent forms of protest but evidences reveal that the methods of protest employed by them are violent in nature”, the statement adds.
The agency has alleged that PFI was using funds for their continuous unlawful activities. PFI members were actively involved in “inciting violence and fomenting trouble leading to Delhi riots of February 2020; PFI/CFI members visited Hathras with an intent to disturb communal harmony, inciting communal riots and spreading terror; plan to form a terrorist gang - collection of deadly weapons and explosive devices to launch attacks on important and sensitive places and individuals with an intent to undermine the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the nation and to disturb communal harmony; organizing training camp with an intent to cause disturbance during Prime Minister’s Patna visit in July 2022; preparing, printing and possessing incriminating literature having potential to pose threat to the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the nation”.
In a press statement on Friday the federal agency said that it initiated investigation against the office bearers, members and cadres of PFI under PMLA, 2002 on the basis of various FIRs registered by the NIA, Delhi and other law enforcement agencies.
Investigation revealed that the office bearers, members and cadres of Popular Front of India (PFI), were allegedly conspiring and raising/collecting funds from within India and abroad through banking channels, hawala, donations etc. for committing and financing terrorist acts across India.
The agency has further said that as regards quantum of proceeds of crime funds raised by PFI in India and abroad by using unlawful means were deposited in 29 bank accounts of PFI across the country located in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir and Manipur.
The funds collected through unlawful means and dummy donors by PFI in cash or through bank account qualified as Proceeds of Crime which amounts to Rs. 94 Crore, the agency said.
So far 26 members and cadres of PFI have been arrested by ED and 9 Prosecution Complaints (equivalent of a chargesheet) have been filed in the period February 2021 to May 2024.
The agency has further said that its investigation has revealed that PFI had more than 13,000 active members in Singapore and Gulf countries including Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.
PFI has formed well defined District Executive Committees (DECs) for the Non-Resident Muslim diaspora living in the Gulf Countries, which was tasked with collection of funds, the press statement reads.
“Each DEC was given a target of several crores of rupees for funds collection. The funds which were raised abroad were transferred to India through circuitous banking channels, as well as through underground hawala channels so that their origins could not be traced and thereafter handed over to PFI and its office bearers to finance their terrorist and unlawful activities”, the agency said.
It further claimed that its investigation has revealed that the real objectives of PFI are different from the ones stated in its constitution. “Real objectives of PFI include formation of an organization for carrying out an Islamic movement in India through Jihad, though PFI masquerades itself as a social movement. PFI claimed use of non-violent forms of protest but evidences reveal that the methods of protest employed by them are violent in nature”, the statement adds.
The agency has alleged that PFI was using funds for their continuous unlawful activities. PFI members were actively involved in “inciting violence and fomenting trouble leading to Delhi riots of February 2020; PFI/CFI members visited Hathras with an intent to disturb communal harmony, inciting communal riots and spreading terror; plan to form a terrorist gang - collection of deadly weapons and explosive devices to launch attacks on important and sensitive places and individuals with an intent to undermine the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the nation and to disturb communal harmony; organizing training camp with an intent to cause disturbance during Prime Minister’s Patna visit in July 2022; preparing, printing and possessing incriminating literature having potential to pose threat to the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the nation”.
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