From Love Jihad to Hathras: Rauf Sherrief’s testimony illuminates PFI’s dark secrets

The statement of Rauf Sherrief regarding the funding of PFI, the terrorist outfit, has pushed the PFI to deep trouble. His explicit statement made the NIA’s job easy. Rauf Sherrief is a native of Anchal, Kollam district, Kerala. NIA got the information, regarding Rauf, from Siddiq Kappan who was nabbed by Uttar Pradesh Police in connection with Hathras Riot Conspiracy case. According to reports, Rauf was the Campus Front General Secretary and he organised fund flow for PFI through a shell company in Oman. Rauf turned an approver and got bail recently. NIA had interrogated Rauf in Lucknow jail several times. Nationwide raids and arrests were carried out accordingly.

His confession is reported to be like this:

He joined PFI in 2013. And, joined Campus Front in 2015 when he was a student. He was elevated to the position of Campus Front National General Secretary in 2018 -2019. The Campus Front office was in F-23 Building of Shaheen Bagh, Delhi. The building was on lease in the name of former president A.V. Shoib, a Kannur native. PFI leader Abdul Rehman lived upstairs. Delhi office of PFI was in F-30 Building, the next door. Raof was a permanent visitor to F-30. He cleared his CA examinations in 2016.

Rauf got the job, as the General Manager, in Rais International Company in 2018. Rauf used to come to Bharat, quite often, those days. Active workers of PFI in Gulf countries used to collect funds from Muslims and send them to Bharat by hawala. Occasionally, funds were transferred to the bank accounts of certain organisations and individuals. Gulf Executive Council coordinates the activities in Gulf countries. There are district executive councils in Kerala and some other states. Executive Councils’ duty is to collect money from Muslims. Nouphal Sherrief of Doha, Mohammed Faizal Basheer and Remees of Muscat are in charge of fundraising in Gulf. Even though Campus Front is a student body, PFI runs the show. PFI does have offshoots like Rihab Foundation, Green Valley, Advocates Council, NCHRO, Junior Front, Women’s Front and Hit Squads.

According to Rauf, the funds Rihab International raises from Gulf countries, in the name of charity activities, are spent for PFI activities. The Muslim children who get free education in Green Valley Academy will be directed to religious extremism. If active PFI workers of Green Valley are arrested, they will escape by playing the ‘victim card’. And, Advocates Council and NCHRO will ensure legal support. Numerous media persons of Thejus and other media are PFI members. Junior Front and Women’s Front work among children and women, respectively. And there are secret offshoots like Hit Squads. Hit Squad is the military wing of PFI. They get physical and weapon training. They are deployed for attacks. They are capable of carrying out riots and murders.

Members of different branches do not each other. Top leaders and ‘managers’ alone know them. PFI also have Media Cell comprising of IT professionals. Their job is to defame the country and the central government and spread communal passions. Social media propagates the ‘atrocities’ against minorities and Dalits. PFI made it a point to spread news of the death of a Dalit girl in Hathras. When the government suppressed the anti-CAA agitations, it was a setback to PFI.

Therefore, a team was sent to flare up the Hathras incident to exploit the situation.  Rauf transferred Rs 5000 to Atiqur Rehman for going to Hathras. K.P. Kamal of PFI transferred monies to the account of Siddiq Kappan. The mission given to that team was to instigate Dalits-Caste Hindus riots. PFI grows in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Bengal very fast. The Supreme Court verdict for the construction of the Ram Temple in the site of ‘Babri Masjid’ could provoke Muslims and draft members to PFI.

A lot of people joined PFI during the anti-CAA agitation also. And, more funds flowed to PFI’s coffers. But, the agitation died a natural death, thanks to the COVID breakdown and strong police actions. That is why Hathras incident was picked up. Hit Squad members Anshad, Badarudheen and Firose Khan were sent to Hathras, with petrol bombs and weapons, following the dispatch of Siddiq Kappan and team. PFI design would have succeeded if the team had given up Hathras’s mission and engineered riots in Hathras when Kappan and the team were arrested.

According to Rauf, K.P. Kamal, who was also the Delhi office manager, is the man who deploys the teams and controls the activities. Mobile data of the Hit Squads will show that Kamal sends several squads for a single mission. He says, the revelation of more secrets would be harmful to his life.   O.M.A. Salam, P. Koya, E.M. Abdu Rehman, Anees Ahmed, A.M. Islam, K.P. Kamal, M.K. Faizy, Abdul Wahid Sait, Mohammed Yousuf, V.P. Nazarudheen and Noufal are the brass of PFI.  Some of them, including P. Koya were former SIMI office bearers. Cash payments are made for Campus Front’s activities. Illegal bank transactions are done for PFI activities.

Mysteries were unfolded before NIA with the confessions of Rauf Sherrief and Hit Squad members Badarudheen and Firose Khan.