Countrywide Raids On 29 PFI Locations, ED Takes Action

Countrywide raids on 29 PFI locations, ED takes action under the Money Laundering Act.

The Enforcement Directorate ([ED)] is trying to get to the bottom of the funding of Popular Front of India (PFI) surrounded by allegations of Delhi and Bangalore riots.

In this connection, the ED raids countrywide 29 locations linked to Popular Front of India, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

According to a senior ED official, separate money laundering cases have been taken together against PFI.

All its funding will be investigated in this. The PFI has described the raid as an attempt by the government to divert attention from the peasant movement.

In fact, ED has received evidence of funding of more than Rs 120 crores till March this year in the account of PFI. These include funding from abroad.

The ED is trying to find sources of funding and their use. Places raided on Thursday include Lucknow and Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh, Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, Darbhanga and Purnia in Bihar.

Tenkasi, and Madurai in Tamil Nadu, Aurangabad in Maharashtra, Kolkata and Murshidabad in Bengal, Jaipur in Rajasthan, Kerala. Kochi, Mallapuram, and Trivandrum.

Demonstration against CAA and allegations of funding of Delhi riots

The nationwide protests against CAA, and especially behind Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, led to a case of PFI funding.

The ED investigation revealed that between December 4, 2019, to January 6, 2020, the Popular Front of India account had Rs 1.04 crore, which was used for demonstrations against CAA.

Along with this, evidence was found against the Popular Front of India in the funding of the Delhi riots. There has also been evidence of the role of PFI people in the Bangalore riots.

The Uttar Pradesh police also arrested people associated with the Popular Front of India for trying to spread caste hatred in the Hathras case.