NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said that it has attached a total of 35 immovable properties valued at Rs 56.56 crore, beneficially owned and controlled by Popular Front of India (PFI) in the name of various trusts, companies, and individuals.
The attachment was carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, with 19 properties worth Rs 35.43 crore attached on October 16 and 16 properties worth Rs 21.13 crore attached on April 16.
The investigation revealed that PFI had more than 13,000 active members in Singapore and Gulf countries, including Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The organisation formed District Executive Committees (DECs) for the Non-Resident Muslim diaspora in these countries, tasked with collecting funds, according to ED.
The funds raised abroad were transferred to India through circuitous banking channels and underground hawala channels to finance PFI’s terrorist and unlawful activities.
“Each DEC was given a target of several crores of rupees for funds collection. The funds which were raised abroad were transferred to India through circuitous banking channels, as well as through underground hawala channels so that their origins could not be traced and thereafter handed over to PFI and its office bearers to finance their terrorist and unlawful activities,” ED said.
“Investigation has revealed that the real objectives of PFI are different from the ones stated in its constitution. The real objectives of PFI include the formation of an organisation for carrying out an Islamic movement in India through Jihad, though PFI masquerades itself as a social movement. PFI claimed the use of non-violent forms of protest but evidence reveal that the methods of protest employed by them are violent in nature,” it added.
The ED found that PFI employed various methods of protest, including preparing for a Civil War by creating unrest and strife in society, using methods of cruelty and subjugation, and undermining the unity and sovereignty of the nation. The organisation also provided arms training under the guise of Physical Education (PE) classes, teaching offensive and defensive manoeuvres using different variations of blows, punches, kicks, knife, and stick attacks.
“Some of the methods of protest used by them as found during investigation are explained as under: Steps for preparation for a Civil War by creating unrest and strife in the society that includes Non-violent air raids, Guerrilla Theater, Alternative Communication Systems etc. Methods of cruelty and subjugation include Haunting Officials, Taunting Officials, Fraternization, Mock Funerals, Interdict, Lysistratic Non-Action (Lysistratic non-action is to withhold sex from someone in order to achieve something) etc. Methods employed for undermining unity and sovereignty of the nation which include Civil Disobedience of Laws, Dual sovereignty, parallel Government, disclosing identities of secret agents,” ED asserted.
These classes were conducted on properties registered under dummy owners’ names, as PFI does not have a single property registered in its own name. One such case was the Narath Arms Camp case in 2013, where PFI was imparting training to its cadres in the use of explosives and weapons to promote enmity between different religions and prepare the cadres for terrorist activities.