Enforcement Directorate told a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Thursday that over Rs 100 crore were deposited in the bank accounts related to the Islamist Popular Front of India in the past few years. “Over Rs 100 crore were deposited into the bank accounts of the PFI in the last few years. The source and disbursal of these funds are under probe,” the ED submitted in an affidavit filed in a money laundering case against the PFI. The ED also added, “since 2013, the PFI has been indulging in various scheduled offences and the money transfers and cash deposits have significantly increased after 2014.”
PFI is accused of masterminding various communal riots in various parts of the nation and funding anti-national activities. ED and other security agencies have red-flagged this organisation multiple times due to its connection with Islamic fundamentalist organisations. Various state governments had also asked the union government to ban the activities of PFI.
The PMLA court has also extended the custody of K.A Rauf Sheriff, the national secretary of the PFI affiliated Campus Front of India, by three days. Rauf was arrested by ED for funding PFI members and Siddique Kappan for trying to instigate tensions between communities post-Hathras gang-rape incident. ED also notes that CFI doesn’t have a bank account and all the money was routed through Rauf. ED also found that Rs 1.35 crore was deposited during 2018-2020. In another account operated by him, Rs 67 lakh was also found.
Several PFI leaders were arrested in connection with the Delhi and Bangalore riots.
