The Special Court of Delhi on Thursday fixed November 6, 2023, for hearing ED’s submissions on cognisance point in regards to its supplementary chargesheet (Prosecution Complaint) filed against Kasim Syed Mohd Ibrahim, accused in a money laundering case related to the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI).
The Additional Sessions Judge Sachin Gupta also fixed the main ED’s matter against the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) along with the recently filed chargesheet against Kasim Syed Mohd Ibrahim. The prosecution complaint was filed before the Special Court by ED through Advocates Naveen Kumar Matta and Mohd Faizan.
According to the ED, the investigation revealed that Tamil Nadu Development Foundation Trust (TNDFT), one of the frontal organisations of PFI which was founded in the year 1993 by the core committee members of PFI, runs Arivagam, an Islamic Conversion Center that carries out Da’wah Orientation camps to convert people into Islam for men at Muthudevanpatty Village, Theni District & for female at Eruvadi town, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.
Likewise, Puthiya Vidiyal is an Islamic magazine that was a mouthpiece of PFI. Investigations revealed that apart from propagating the agenda of PFI, this magazine was also a vehicle for raising funds for the latter in the guise of subscription money and advertisement revenues that were not reflected in the books and were transferred to PFI through underground/ Hawala channels, stated ED in court.
Investigation revealed that you KSM Ibrahim is the key person both in TNDFT/Arivagam and Puthiya Vidiyal. During the course of recording statements under section 50 of PMLA, 2002, K.S.M. Ibrahim did not cooperate with the investigating officer, gave vague replies of the questions asked, his behaviour remained evasive, adamant and made deliberate attempts to conceal the facts to frustrate the ongoing investigation, said the ED in court earlier.
Accordingly, in the interest of investigation and in view of the role of K.S.M. Ibrahim in the offense of money laundering, the Investigating Officer complied with the provisions of Section 19 of PMLA, 2002, and put him under arrest on August 23, 2023, in New Delhi, stated ED.
Recently, the Popular Front of India (PFI) has also approached the Supreme Court, challenging an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) tribunal confirming the five-year ban imposed on it by the Centre.
Earlier, the Centre had declared as “unlawful association” the PFI and its associates, affiliates, or fronts, including Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.
(With inputs from ANI)
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