Sleuths of National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested five functionaries of Popular Front of India (PFI) in Madurai on Thursday, as part of nationwide searches. The family members of the arrested persons complained of excesses and “human-rights violation” during the early morning operation.
The NIA officials who have been camping in Madurai since Wednesday, swooped on the residences of seven functionaries of PFI during the simultaneous searches conducted since 3.30 a.m. on Thursday.
Among the arrested are A. Mohammed Idris (35), PFI State orator, S. Mohammed Abudhagir (36), district president, M. Syed Ishak (35) district secretary, S. Kaja Maideen, state orator and A. Khalith Mohammed (47), State deputy president.
Though the teams had gone to the residences of A. Mohammed Yusuf and P. Mohammed Idris, they were not available in the houses.
Later speaking to reporters, Socialist Democratic Party of India, general secretary, Najma Begum, complained that a huge police posse, led by the NIA sleuths, banged the doors of the houses of the PFI functionaries in the dead of the night.
Members of Popular Front of India (PFI) shout slogans against the officials of National Investigation Agency (NIA) who conducted searches at the premises of Mohammed Sigam, an office-bearer of the PFI’s Madurai district unit, at Goripalayam in Madurai on September 22, 2022. | Photo Credit: R. ASHOK
"My children and ailing mother were terrified by the armed men barging into the house. Without divulging any details or showing any documents, they started to search the house. After taking a laptop and a mobile phone, they tried to force me to sign in some papers," she alleged.
The police personnel refused to allow them to even fetch milk for the crying child, Ms. Begum charged. Another woman complained that the police had broken open the door to enter the house in a manner akin to attempts to arrest terrorists.
The women said they were not told about the charges against the PFI functionaries. "Till this moment, we do not know where they have been taken to," she said adding that Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, should intervene against the "undemocratic act".
