NIA search operations were carried out at Popular Front of India (PFI) party office in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Anti Terrorist Cell, Bengaluru City Police, against members of Popular Front of India (PFI) alleges that the organisation runs an “organised conspiracy to radicalise Muslim youth towards violent acts of extremist nature”, imparting training in using lethal weapons and deputing them to “undertake targeted attacks on persons having a certain religious and socio-political lineage.”
“The larger aim of the conspiracy is to create social unrest and disaffection against India by inciting people to defy the government established by law thereby threatening the unity, sovereignty and integrity of the nation and to wage war against the Government of India through its cadres,” the FIR alleges.
From eight districts
Though the FIR lists 19 persons, all members and office-bearers of PFI across eight districts of the State as accused booking them for sedition, it does not make any specific charges against any of them individually, but only alleges that PFI has been carrying out subversive activities, a charge that has been part of several police records till date. Sources in the city police said that the FIR was based on information received from Central security agencies and the inputs they received had specific inputs against the 19 individuals.
‘Source-based information
B.R. Venugopal, Chief of Anti Terrorist Cell, BCP, lodged the complaint with K.G. Halli Police based on a source based information he received, in pursuance of which State police conducted raids in eight districts simultaneous to raids conducted by National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) and arrested 14 office-bearers and members of the organisation on Thursday. All the 14 arrested were produced before a magistrate and remanded into police custody till October 3.
The FIR alleges PFI has an organised structure whereby a false and concocted narrative of events is presented through provocative speeches and other content, to radicalise Muslim youth “towards violent acts of extremism to create enmity between various sections of society on the basis of religion, to create disharmony, instability and fear in the minds of the people at large” and alleged they have organised training camps and deputed trained cadres for targeted killings of activists of certain religious and socio-political lineage.
