The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two more persons allegedly linked to the Popular Front of India (PFI) for their alleged involvement in a criminal conspiracy to make recruitments for the banned outfit.
The accused have been identified as Vajid Ali and Mubarik Ali, who are residents of Kota in Rajasthan. The agency alleged that they, along with the previously chargesheeted individuals in the case – Mohammed Asif, Sadik Sarraf, and Mohammed Sohail – organised weapons training camps in Jaipur and Kota.
“...they provided weapons training to young cadre of the organisation with the aim to achieve the long-term agenda of the PFI i.e. establishing Islamic Rule in India by the year 2047 and to overthrow the democratically elected Central government through violent acts,” said the agency on Friday.
It said: “The PFI collected funds from members of the Muslim community under the guise of ‘zakat’, which is meant for charitable purposes. These funds, instead of being utilised for welfare and charitable activities, were being used to support weapons trainers and the training being organised by the PFI.”
The accused persons were into “inciting religious hatred, radicalisation of the Muslim youth, organisation of training camps and fundraising for the commission of terrorist acts”.
In another PFI-related case, the agency has filed a supplementary chargesheet against three accused individuals, Abdul Razzak, Mohamed Yusuf, and Kyzer A. The case pertains to the activities of the banned outfit, its leaders and members in “actively espousing and disseminating extremist ideology throughout Tamil Nadu”.
“Their operations were conducted through their State headquarters located in Purasawakkam, Chennai, as well as through various district offices across Tamil Nadu; facilitated by their network of frontal organisations. Further, they have been promoting hatred and ill will between members of different religious groups and carrying out activities prejudicial to the maintenance of communal harmony,” said the NIA.
Earlier, the agency had searched the residences of Abdul Razzak, Mohammed Yusuf and Kyzer A, following which they were arrested and produced before a designated court on May 9. They have been accused of promoting the PFI’s extremist ideology by organising weapons training camps for its recruits. The outfit’s cadre was used for “identifying and categorising targets” who were against the PFI’s ideologies, to “attack, assault, maim and murder”.
In March, the NIA had filed a chargesheet against 10 accused persons in the same case.
