Mumbai court extends remand of 5 PFI accused till October 3

A Mumbai court on Monday extended the remand of five PFI suspects nabbed in Mumbai for an additional eight days. The extension is valid until October 3. The defendants were brought before the court today at the completion of their 5-day remand. The suspects were apprehended on September 22 in raids across different states by […]

A Mumbai court on Monday extended the remand of five PFI suspects nabbed in Mumbai for an additional eight days.

The extension is valid until October 3. The defendants were brought before the court today at the completion of their 5-day remand.

The suspects were apprehended on September 22 in raids across different states by multi-agency teams led by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for suspected assistance to terror operations in the country.

Across India, the National Investigation Agency, the Enforcement Directorate, and state police agencies conducted coordinated searches at the homes and offices of PFI officials and members.

Searches were conducted at 93 locations in 15 states of India in which over 100 activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) were arrested.

The states where the raids were conducted included Andhra Pradesh (4 places), Telangana (1), Delhi (19), Kerala (11), Karnataka (8), Tamil Nadu (3), Uttar Pradesh (1), Rajasthan (2), Hyderabad (5), Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar and Manipur.

The searches were carried out in connection with five cases filed by the NIA in response to “continued inputs and evidence” that PFI leaders and cadres were involved in funding terrorism and terrorist activities, organising training camps for providing armed training, and radicalising people to join banned organisations.

Over the previous few years, a considerable number of criminal cases have been filed in many states against the PFI and its leaders and members for their involvement in numerous violent incidents.

On September 25, the Pune Police Department filed a case against demonstrators who reportedly yelled pro-Pakistan slogans in the city.

‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans were raised outside the District Collector’s office on Friday in Pune city where Popular Front of India (PFI) cadres gathered against the recent arrests of its leaders across the country.

Some protestors were detained by Pune police and a case was registered for unlawful assembly against protestors. Police also arrested some protestors.

“Case registered under sections of rioting and for blocking the roads at Bund Garden police station. Probe underway pertaining to videos that went viral. Stringent action to be taken against culprits,” said Sagar Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone II, Pune.

Earlier, Pune Police had said they will probe and verify the videos and action will be taken accordingly.

“We have received some videos, we will investigate and verify them completely and take action accordingly,” the DCP had said.

Reacting to the sloganeering incident, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the state Home Minister said stringent action will be taken. “We will take stringent action against any person raising Pakistan Zindabad slogans in Maharashtra,” Fadnavis said.

Nitesh Rane, a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, took to Twitter to caution individuals who raise such chants. He also demanded that PFI be prohibited.