PFI Nationwide Raid: The Tamil Nadu story

As part of nationwide crackdown on popular front of India ,new avatar of banned SIMI and its political wing SDPI,  by National Investigation(NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED) with Intelligence Bureau (IB) in loop and state police, 11 PFI functionaries have been arrested from Tamil Nadu and incriminating documents seized.

As per NIA statement, officers conducted raids at a house of national executive council member Ismail at  Karumbukadai in Coimbatore where documents relating money laundering have been seized. They also raided at the house of SDPI functionary Barakatullah’s residence. The team conducted raids at 11 places in Kattumannarkoil, Dindugal, Madurai, Theni and seized important documents.  In Tamil Nadu those arrested  are identified as M Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Mohammed Yousef, AS Ismail, aka Appamma Ismail, Syed Ishaaq, Khalid Mohammed, AM Idris aka Ahmed Idris, Mohammed Abuthahir, SKhaja Moideen, Yasar Arafa, Barakathulla, Fayaz Ahamed. Among them, five have been arrested in Madurai, two from Kerala, while one each in Cuddalore, Ramanathapuram, Theni and Coimbatore.

NIA said the searches were carried out in 93 locations across the country, as there were continued inputs and cadres were involved in funding terrorism and terrorist activities, organizing training camps and providing armed training including weapon handling, bomb and explosives making, radicalizing people to join banned organisations . It said maximum number of arrests ,19have been from Kerala.  During the search several indiscriminating documents, cash, sharp edged weapons and a large number of digital devices were seized. The agency so far has booked 19 cases against PFI and its leaders on several charges cold blood killing of organisations espousing other faiths, collection of explosives  to target prominent peoples and places , chopping off the hand of a college professor, support to Islamic state, destruction of public properties to terrorize citizens and so on.

PFI cadres staged protests condemning raids In Chennai Purasawakkam, in front of the PFI’s state headquarter, Coonoor, Ooty, Gudalur, Kothagiri in Nilgiris district, Kattumannarkoil and other places.

In Coimbatore, soon after raids ended, miscreants hurled molotiv cocktails (bottlers filled with fuel) at BJP office on VKK Menon road and textile showroom (Maruti Selections) on Oppannakara Street. Two TNSTC buses were damaged in Coimbatore after unidentified persons hurled stones at them. PFI and SDPI cadres blocked the roads in various locations in the city.  In Cuddalore district, PFI workers staged road roko agitation in various places resulting traffic movement on national high way at Ambur, Tirupathur district came to a halt. MH Jawaharullah, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi and Abdul Razak of PFI Chennai condemned the raids.