The Popular Front of India (PFI) held a protest in Pune on Friday (Express photo)Over 40 workers and supporters of the Popular Front of India (PFI) were detained as the organisation held a protest in Pune on Friday against the nationwide searches and arrests on Thursday by investigation agencies under terror funding charges.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), along with state agencies, had on Thursday launched nationwide anti-terror raids against PFI in more than a dozen states for investigation into to terrorism and terror funding charges. The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS), too, launched a crackdown in the state, raiding 12 places and arresting 20 persons related to the PFI, including two from Pune.
The central and state agencies together are said to have arrested over 100 persons, including the outfit’s National Executive Committee and state unit members. The NIA and ED conducted raids on premises related to the PFI in the Kondhwa area of Pune.
The latest in a series of agitations held across the country, the protest in Pune was held on Friday afternoon in front of the District Collectorate. Leaders, workers and supporters of the PFI raised slogans condemning the raids and searches by the central and state investigating agencies. The protesters also raised slogans hailing the PFI and condemning the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
During the protests, some workers were detained by the police and taken away in police vans. “As a preventive measure, some workers of the PFI had to be detained. Protesters had gathered in front of the District Collectorate. Adequate police deployment was made in advance. No law-and-order issue was reported during the protests,” said a senior officer who was part of the police deployment.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Sagar Patil said 42 persons were detained. All the 42 persons were released later in the night after warning notices were issued to them.
Earlier on Thursday afternoon, Mohammed Quis Anwar Shaikh, the Pune district president of the PFI, addressed a press conference where he announced that the organisation would hold protests in the city on Friday. Later, on Thursday night and also on Friday morning, the police issued notices to several people related to the PFI under Section 149 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which empowers them to take various measures to prevent any cognizable offence. Some people associated with the PFI or from organisations related to the PFI were placed under preventive detention.
Zahid Bhai Shaikh of Kul Jamat-e-Tanzim, an umbrella body of several organisations including the PFI, said, “I was detained at the Kondhwa police station and released later. The protests were aimed at condemning the illegal and unconstitutional raids and arrests.”
Anjum Inamdar of Anjum Inamdar of Mul Nivasi Muslim Manch said, “The protests were peaceful and held in a constitutional manner. The police should not have issued preventive notices to people. They took away the fundamental right to protest. We condemn the actions against the PFI members.”
From the early morning on Thursday, the Maharashtra ATS conducted raids in Aurangabad, Pune, Kolhapur, Beed, Parbhani, Nanded Jalgaon, Jalna, Malegaon, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Mumbai. Four offences were registered in Mumbai, Nashik, Aurangabad, and Nanded under Indian Penal Code sections 153A, 121A, 109, 120B and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) section 13-1B for indulging in unlawful activities, promoting enmity amongst communities and for conspiring to wage a war against the state. As many as 20 persons linked to the PFI were arrested by the ATS from across the state.