NIA continues crackdown on PFI; over 50 members detained across country

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), with the assistance of respective state police departments, has resumed the crackdown on the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its office bearers. As part of this, the officials Tuesday took into preventive custody as many as 25 local leaders belonging to both the PFI and its political offshoot the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in Karnataka. Raids are also currently underway at places related to PFI leaders in different parts of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Delhi, Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh, news agency ANI reported. It also reported that more than 30 people have been detained from different parts of Delhi. In Assam, four persons linked with the PFI were detained from Nagarbera area. Meanwhile, the Nashik police have arrested two persons associated with the PFI. They will be produced before a court later in the day.  Police have also arrested four activists of the PFI from different locations in Maharashtra’s Thane district for alleged anti-national activities. The arrests were made on Monday night in a joint operation carried out in the district by local police and crime branch officials. The houses of PFI leaders in various parts of Udupi district were also raided by the police on Tuesday. Four people were taken into custody in connection with various cases during these raids. Meanwhile, five PFI activists were arrested from the Kottayam and Kollam districts of Kerala for allegedly engaging in violent activities during the state-wide hartal called by the organisation on September 23 pursuant to nation-wide raids on their offices and arrests of their leaders.