New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS): The intelligence agencies were keeping an eye on the illegal activities of the now banned Popular Front of India (PFI).
Before the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday morning banned the PFI and its associates for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the agencies had learnt that the PFI had turned into a violent organisation which indulged in terror activities, hawala funding besides promoting hatred between different communities.
The agencies also found PFI links in the killing of a number of Hindu leaders.
The MHA dossier accesed by IANS said that the ministry believed that the PFI had been one of the most potent radical Muslim outfits whose members were involved in numerous cases of violence, unlawful activities and terrorism.
The PFI and its various frontal organisations had a presence in over 17 states across the country.
"The PFI encouraged its cadres to undertake actions that were prejudicial to the maintenance of peace and harmony between different religious groups, and disrupted the secular fabric of the country. Hence, it is banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," read the dossier.
As many as 1,300 cases have been registered against against the PFI, its cadres and associated organisations by different state police forces as well as the NIA.
Some of these cases were registered under the UAPA, Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act and other heinous sections of IPC.
The agencies have found that there had been a number of instances of international linkages of PFI with terrorist groups.
"Some activists of PFI, particularly from Kerala, had joined ISIS and had participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of these Indian ISIS terrorists were also killed in action by security forces in those conflict theatres. Some PFI elements associated with ISIS had been arrested by the NIA and different state police. The PFI also had linkages with Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB)," the dossier read.
Sanjith, an RSS worker in Kerala, was murdered by the cadres of PFI on November 15, 2021. In Tamil Nadu, the PFI cadres killed V. Ramalingam, a Hindu leader, for challenging its 'Dawah' activities in 2019.
There were other cases of murder of pro-Hindu leaders by the cadres of the outfit, including Nandu (Kerala, 2021), Abhimanyu (Kerala, 2018), Bibin (Kerala, 2017), Sharath (Karnataka, 2017), R Rudresh (Karnataka, 2016), Praveen Poojari (Karnataka, 2016) and Sasi Kumar (Tamil Nadu, 2016), the dossier said.
The PFI cadres had also chopped the hand of T.J. Joseph, a professor, for alleged blasphemy in 2010, it added.
Some AQ and ISIS training videos, depicting gruesome murders, had been recovered from the PFI cadres accused in this case. Such activities created fear among the members of other religious communities, besides the public, the dossier said.
In Kerala, explosives and Jihadi literature were recovered from the Padam forest area in Kollam district in June 2021. The forest area was being used by PFI as a training site.
In April 2013, Kerala Police had recovered arms and explosives from an arms training site in Narath in Kannur district. The case was investigated by the NIA and 41 PFI cadres were convicted by the court in 2016.
The PFI covertly organised training camps where the participants were trained to use force against certain religious groups, which were perceived by the outfit as enemies of Islam, the dossier claimed.
The PFI, which had always claimed to be a social organisation, was also found involved in the July 26 murder of Praveen Nettaru, a Hindu activist, in Bellare town in Karnataka. Nettaru was hacked to death by bike-borne assailants. The persons arrested so far are all members of PFI.
The murder was allegedly planned by the PFI and members of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political front of PFI.
Also, the PFI had been receiving funds from dubious channels from both within the country and abroad. The PFI and its affiliates operated large number of bank accounts and received money through their aides based in India and abroad.
Over 100 bank accounts of PFI not matching with the financial profile of the account holders have come to the notice of probe agencies. As a result, the registration status of PFI under Section 12A & 12 AA of IT Act was withdrawn.
Meanwhile, a clandestine physical training centre in Telangana revealed the violent nature of the PFI. A physical education instructor, Abdul Khader, had trained more than 200 PFI cadres in martial arts in Nizamabad.
The police had registered a case at Nizamabad VI Town police station, under various sections of IPC and UAPA against 27 PFI members.
Interrogation of the accused had revealed that the PFI would identify Muslim youth, especifically from poor or middle class families, who were later trained and instilled with anti-Hindutva ideology.
From making IEDs to creating civil war-like situation, PFI's plan was 'big'
The security agencies have claimed that the members of the now banned organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) had been imparting training to individuals to make IEDs at home, supposed to be used by them later.
PFI leaders had been planning to destabilise the nation, sources in the know of things submitted.
A written content providing instructions on making IEDs was recovered from Mohammed Nadeem, a PFI leader in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki.
A document titled 'a short course on how to make IEDs using easily available materials' was recovered from Ahmed Beg Nadwi's place, a PFI leader in Khadra, Uttar Pradesh.
"Two Lowrance LHR-80 were recovered from the residence of Barakathulla, the SDPI's Ramnad disrict president in Tamil Nadu," a source with the security agencies has said.
According to sources, a huge amount of cash was recovered from the residence of Shahid Khan, a PFI leader in Bengaluru, and physical education (PE) guide was recovered from the PFI office in Kolkata.
PE materials were also recovered from the house of PFI's Maharashtra president, Irfan Milli.
The law enforcement agencies have recovered hundreds of incriminating materials from the hideouts of the accused which indicate that PFI wanted to make India an Islamic nation by 2047.
Some of the key documents including the brochures and CDs related to Mission 2047 (document containing material for converting India into an Islamic State) was recovered from the possession of vice president of PFI Maharashtra and PE material from the house of state president.
The agencies recovered pen drives containing videos related to IS, Gajwa-e-Hind and how to spread their ideology. A Lowrance handheld Marine radio sets recovered from Tamil Nadu PFI leadership and many such other materials.
The agencies said that PFI had a long history of claiming victimisation but the reality was opposite of it.
It said that the violence orchestrated by PFI's leaders and cadres post arrest of its leaders exposed their violent tendencies.
Southern states, especially Kerala and Tamil Nadu where PFI has considerable presence, witnessed spate of violence in aftermath of arrest of PFI leaders.
Many members of the PFI engaged in violence including throwing petrol bombs and arson in several places in Tamil Nadu and Kerala in protest against the action by the NIA.
The PFI damaged several government and private vehicles, hurled petrol bombs at several houses and held road blockades, creating inconvenience to the public.
OMA Salam, the PFI Chairman is presently under suspension from his department Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and undergoing departmental enquiry for his unauthorised travel abroad and also holding the post of PFI Chairman while being a government employee.
A diary recovered by ED from Salam's close associate M. Mohammed Ismail revealed about a sinister plot of PFI and Salam to create a civil war-like situation in India.
Nazarudheen Ealamaram, national secretary of PFI, has 10 cases registered against him under different sections since 2009.
P. Koya, national executive council member of PFI was a "committed SIMI leader", and an "Ansar" during 1978-79. He was also involved in creating a divide between Gujjars and Malis of Rajasthan.
He along with EM Abdul Rahiman, vice president of PFI was privately hosted by IHH, an Al-Qaeda linked Turkish charity organisation.
EM Abdul Rahiman was the All India General Secretary of SIMI in 1984 and was also associated with Karuna Foundation, a pro-SIMI organisation.
Anis Ahmed, General Secretary of PFI had openly supported and praised Hamas.
"The list is long. It will take at least dozens of pages just to describe the criminal past of the PFI leadership. The point is -- most of the PFI leaders have a dark past filled with hate for the country and its establishments. All they want is the implementation of their own ideology at any cost. They have no concern for the common Muslims," a source said.