9 out of 10 arrested PFI leaders from Assam produced at a Guwahati court; sent to 5 days of police remand

Nine out of 10 arrested members of the Popular Front of India (PFI), who were apprehended on September 22, have been sent to police remand for five days.

These arrested persons were produced before the court where the court sent them to five days of police custody.

As per sources, of 10 PFIs, nine were PFI cadres while one had a link with the PFI.

A case has been registered against them under case no 02/2022 u/s 120(B),124(A)/153(A)/353.

In a first-ever major search operation by the national security agencies, a joint team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and state police forces have arrested more than 100 PFI leaders during raids across 11 states.

A total of 10 PFI leaders have been arrested from different locations in Assam including Barpeta, Baksa, Karimganj, and Nagaon. A total of 6 arrests have been made from Guwahati under the Kamrup district.

In what can be called the largest ever investigation process to date, the searches have been conducted by the NIA and ED at multiple locations across the country, in tracing out persons involved in “funding terrorism, organizing training camps and radicalizing people to join proscribed organizations.”

Among the states where the raids were conducted include Andhra Pradesh (5), Assam (10), Delhi (3), Karnataka (20), Kerala (22), Madhya Pradesh (4), Maharashtra (20), Puducherry (3), Rajasthan (2), Tamil Nadu (10) and Uttar Pradesh (8).

Over 1,500 members of the state police, the Central Armed Police Forces, and officers from the NIA and ED participated in the operation, which began the late night at 1 am and was expected to be finished by 5 am.