NIA court revokes attachment of six more properties linked to banned PFI

Kochi: The NIA court here has revoked the attachment of six properties and a bank account allegedly linked to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), after it released 10 other properties in June this year.

These properties and bank accounts were attached after NIA registered a case against PFI for anti-national activities and the murder of RSS leader Sreenivasan of Palakkad in 2022.

According to the NIA court's six different judgements given this month, the properties and the bank account to be released belonged to Trivandrum Education Trust, Haritham Foundation Poovanchira, Periyar Valley Charitable Trust Aluva, Vallavunad Trust Palakkad, Chandragiri Charitable Trust in Kasaragod, and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in New Delhi.

After an investigation, the NIA has claimed that PFI was carrying out arms training at Periyar Valley campus and Vallavunad House.

In June this year, the court revoked the attachment of 10 other properties belonging to various trusts and individuals in Malappuram, Alappuzha, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Palakkad, and Ernakulam, which were alleged to have links with PFI.

A group of trustees and individual property owners filed appeals at the NIA court challenging attachments initiated by a designated authority appointed by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2023 after the national agency registered a case against PFI.

The NIA has so far filed charge sheets against 63 persons as part of the PFI case.

The trustees and individuals claimed that they were not involved in the NIA cases and had no direct links with PFI.

However, NIA submitted to the court that these properties were used to conduct physical and arms training to the PFI cadre and provide shelter to them.

The court decided to revoke the attachment of properties as it considered that the direct involvement of trust members in the PFI activities could not be established.

Advocate PC Noushad, who appeared for applicants, said 17 properties attached as part of the PFI case have been revoked.

"The bank account of SDPI in New Delhi was attached after it was found by the NIA that an amount was transferred from it to an accused in the PFI case.

However, we provided details to the court stating that the accused worked as a driver and that money was transferred to him every month as his salary. So far, the court has revoked 17 attachments made in connection with the PFI case," he told PTI on Saturday.

The applicants have approached the relevant authorities for the release of the properties, Noushad added.