Assam: Karimganj district administration seals PFI office in Badarpur

The Karimaganj district administration on September 28 sealed the office of the Popular Front of India (PFI) at Bhanga in the district's Badarpur.

The development comes after a PFI member named Bazlul Karim of Lamajuar Village in Karimganj, was arrested in an NIA raid against the PFI leaders across the country including Assam.

The police rushed to the office and sealed it in the presence of the magistrate and circle officer.

According to police, the latest arrests have taken place in eight districts of the state and more such raids are expected in the coming days.

Details of the PFI members arrested in recent raids are not available yet.

“The fresh arrests have been made in Kamrup Rural (5), Goalpara (10), Karimganj (1), Darrang (1), Dhubri (3), Barpeta (2), Udalguri (1) and Baksa (2) districts,” informed Hiren Nath, Additional DGP (Special Branch).

Earlier on September 22 and 23, police had arrested 11 PFI leaders.

Those arrested are Aminul Hoque, Abdul Razzak, Robiul Hussain, Nazrul Islam Bhuyan, Rafiqul Islam, Abu Sama Ahmed, Farhad Ali, Khalilur Rahman, Mufti Rahmatullah, Bazlul Karim and Minarul Sheikh.

According to police, a case against all 11 leaders were registered by the special branch of Assam police and they have been charged under sections 120-B, 124-A, 153-A and 353 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for criminal conspiracy, sedition, promoting enmity between different groups and assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty.

''These leaders were arrested as there is reliable information that they were making all-out efforts to foment communal strife throughout the state,'' said an official statement by Assam police.