The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has alleged that the radical outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) encouraged vulnerable youths to join terrorist organisations, including Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT), Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or Daesh and Al-Qaida, and also conspired to establish Islamic rule in India by committing a terrorist act.
The NIA has also claimed that the documents seized during the nation-wide searches conducted at offices of PFI and its leaders contain highly incriminating materials targeting prominent leaders of a particular community. In a remand petition submitted before the NIA special court in Kochi on Thursday seeking custody of 10 persons in connection with a case registered by the agency’s Kochi office, the agency alleged that the radical Islamist outfit conspired to establish Islamic rule in India by committing terrorist act as a part of violent jihad. It said the PFI spreads "dis-affection against India by wrongful interpretation of government policies to the particular section of people" to create hatred against the state and its machineries.
"During the investigation, based on materials collected, it has been disclosed that the accused named in the FIR were actively involved in the organised crimes and unlawful activities repeatedly, to terrorise other religious sections of the society, besides creating fear in the mind of general public based on the larger conspiracy hatched among themselves and others," the report said.
In near simultaneous raids across the country, a multi-agency operation spearheaded by the NIA on September 22 led to the arrest of 106 activists of the Popular Front of India in 11 States for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country. "The seized documents also contain highly incriminating materials related to targeting prominent leaders of a particular community. The Hit List seized clearly shows that the PFI, which is working through its leaders, members and associates have gone far ahead in creating atrocities among the community," the report said.
With an intention to disrupt public tranquility and propagating alternative justice delivery system, "the PFI encouraged youths to join terrorist organisation" including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Islamic State of iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Al-Qaida and "also conspired to establish Islamic rule in India by committing terrorist act" as a part of violent jihad, it said. "The case involves key players of the society and they are highly influential even to the effect of stalling the community and its progress by a mere call.
The common man stands threatened by the stand taken by the accused and their henchmen," the report added. The agency said the devices confiscated from the accused and from the offices of the PFI needed to be analysed at Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) in Thiruvananthapuram. The probe agency had produced 10 accused before the court and sought their custody to "unearth larger conspiracy hatched by the accused/cadres and office bearers/leaders of PFI".
The agency said the Ministry of Home Affairs had on September 16 directed it to probe the matter following which a case was registered on September 19 under various sections of the IPC and the UAPA.The NIA court had remanded the accused to judicial custody.