New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted raids in Hubli and Mysore in Karnataka. The Anti-Terrorism Task Force raided the residences of two Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) leaders. According to the information, the house of SDPI leader Ismail Nalband in Hubli has been searched. At the same time, in Mysore, the NIA raided the residence of Suleman, former secretary of the banned organization Popular Front of India (PFI).
PFI has been banned for five years following allegations of terror funding nexus. This step was taken by the government after NIA and ED conducted several raids on PFI and its members across the country especially in September 2022. 106 PFI members were taken into custody during the initial round of raids. Meanwhile, 247 PFI members were apprehended or arrested during the second series of operations.
Raids took place in Maharashtra too earlier
Explain that even after the ban on PFI, the investigating agencies have maintained their crackdown on terrorist links and their operations across the country. On October 10, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested four PFI activists from Raigad district.
On October 21, the Assam Police had arrested three members of the banned PFI from Nagarbera area of Kamrup district of Assam. The officials also detained another person associated with the PFI.
After the Home Ministry ordered a ban on the radical organisation, it was revealed that over 1,300 criminal cases were registered by the police and the NIA against the cadres of the PFI and its flagship organisations, in various states. Some of these cases were also registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act and other heinous sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
