NIA conducts pan-India raids against PFI, 50 detained

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting raids in over eight states and at multiple locations linked to the Popular Front of India (PFI) members on Tuesday.

Sources said that more than 50 people have been detained and the arrests will depend on their questioning.

Raids were going on in Aurangabad, Jalana, Parbhani districts of Maharashtra; Shivamogga, Bidar, Ballari, Hubballi, Kalaburagi districts of Karnataka; Nagarbera of Assam; Bulandshahr's Kasba Syana, Sarurpur and Lisari Gate area of Meerut in Western Uttar Pradesh; and at several places in Delhi.

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The raids started early Tuesday morning and were going on.

NIA sources said that in a few states the local police were conducting raids at their instruction.

Hiren Nath, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) (Special Branch), Assam said that they have detained five PFI members from the Nagarbera area. The DGP said that the raids were going on in many districts of Assam. As many as 11 persons were held by the NIA in it's recent raid.

In Western Uttar Pradesh, four persons have been taken into custody.

"We are grilling them. As of now no arrest memos have been filed against any of them. They are PFI members. We got fresh inputs after the questioning of earlier arrested PFI members and are conducting raids," the source said.

In Maharashtra, the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) and the local police were conducting the raids in Aurangabad, Jalana and Parbhani districts.

"Raids are on in Shivamogga, Bidar, Ballari, Hubballi, and Kalaburagi area of Karnataka. Five have been detained from Shivamogga, four from Ballari, two from Hubballi, and six have been detained from Kolar district. Bidar district president and Kalaburagi media coordinator of PFI have been detained," the source said.

In Delhi, raids were on in Nizamuddin, Rohini, Jamia and in Shahin Bagh.

Raids were being conducted after the NIA got fresh information during the questioning of the arrested PFI members.

Earlier in the week, more than 106 members of PFI were arrested by the NIA and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Lookout Circulars were also issued against two of the PFI members on Monday.

As of now, the NIA is investigating a total of 19 PFI related cases.

The NIA has said that around 46 accused, who were arrested and later convicted in 2010-2011. Around 355 PFI members have already been chargesheeted by the agency.