New Delhi: The Popular Front of India (PFI), banned recently by the government for alleged terrorist links and spreading communal hatred, has a "well-structured and organised" presence in the Gulf countries for raising and mobilising funds, the ED said Monday after a local court took cognisance of its latest charge sheet filed against three PFI office bearers.
The federal probe agency had filed the prosecution complaint or charge sheet last week before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Patiala House. The dossier was filed (on November 19) to press money laundering charges and begin trial against Perwez Ahmad, Mohammad Ilias and Abdul Muqueet who were arrested by it on September 22 following nation-wide raids against the PFI the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and various state police units.
More than 100 persons liked to PFI were arrested by these agencies and many more were detained. At present, the three are under judicial custody in Tihar Jail. A week after this action, the Centre banned the PFI for five years under the stringent anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), accusing the Islamic outfit of having "links" with global terror groups such as the ISIS and trying to spread communal hatred in the country. Its associated entities--Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation, National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala -- were also placed on the list of outlawed organisations.
The ED, in a statement, said Ahmad was the president of PFI Delhi unit and he "supervised the fund raising activities of PFI and managed its public relations." "Md. Ilias, the general secretary of Delhi PFI, was active in mobilisation of funds for PFI and related organisations in the Delhi-NCR region. He also contested Delhi assembly elections of 2020 from Karawal Nagar as an Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) candidate."