11 Popular Front of India functionaries from Tamil Nadu among 45 arrested by NIA

CHENNAI: In a country-wide operation, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested 45 Popular Front of India (PFI) functionaries including 11 from Tamil Nadu after coordinated searches with Enforcement Directorate and respective state police at the organisation's offices and the leaders' houses on Thursday.

Those arrested in Tamil Nadu, as per an NIA statement, are identified as M Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Mohammed Yousuf, A S Ismail alias Appamma Ismail, Syed Ishaaq, Khalid Mohammed, A M Idris alias Ahamed Idris, Mohamed Abuthahir, S Khaja Maideen, Yasar Arafat, Barakathullah and Fayaz Ahamed.

Five of them were arrested in Madurai and two from Kerala, while one each was arrested in Cuddalore, Ramnathapuram, Theni and Coimbatore. NIA said the searches were carried out in 93 locations in 15 states – Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar and Manipur – as there were continued inputs and evidence that the PFI leaders and cadres were involved in funding of terrorism and terrorist activities, organising training camps and providing armed training and radicalising people to join banned organisations. The maximum number of arrests, 19, have been made in Kerala.

Several incriminating documents, cash, sharp edged weapons and a large number of digital devices were seized during the searches, said NIA.

The National Investigation Agency has so far booked 19 cases against PFI and its leaders on several charges such as chopping off the hand of a college professor, cold blooded killings of people associated with organisations espousing other faiths, collection of explosives to target prominent people and places, support to Islamic State and destruction of public property to terrorise citizens, said a note from NIA.