IT News/Agency
Imphal, Sept 22:
A special team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Manipur branch raided the office of the Popular Front of India (PFI) Manipur branch at Lilong Leihoukhong of Thoubal District and Irong Chasaba of Mayang Imphal Imphal West district here in Manipur.
The combined team, along with state police commandos, CRPF and others, started conducting the raid at 3.30 am at Lilong and detained some people. One laptop, a computer set, a bank passbook and some documents were also seized, the source said. But the source added that the two houses were also raided today. According to the source, the raid was conducted to target anti-national and national security threats. The NIA team had also issued a memo listing the seized items. The office was sealed, which may mean that the NIA team may come once again. Reports said that the raids on over 100 PFI branches were conducted simultaneously.
Agency report added that the NIA also raided PFI-SDPI in Kerala, Bengal, and other states; 105 people have been reported arrested. The National Investigation Agency, the Enforcement Directorate, and local police on Thursday launched multiple raids across 13 states—including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam—to crackdown on suspected terror-funding activities. The raids began around 3.30 am and over 100 leaders of the Popular Front of India have been arrested so far. Kerala led the way with 22 arrests, followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka (20 each), Tamil Nadu (10), Assam (9), Uttar Pradesh (8), Andhra Pradesh (5), and Madhya Pradesh (4). There were three arrests each in Puducherry and Delhi and two in Rajasthan.
PFI Chairman OMA Salam and State president CP Muhammad Basheer were taken into custody from Malappuram’s Manjeri. The probe agency also arrested Delhi PFI chief Parvez Ahmed and his brother from Okhla at 3.30 am on Thursday morning.
Later in the day, union home minister Amit Shah met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the home secretary, and the director-general of the NIA.