35 PFI men detained in Maharashtra, 6 in Pune give undertaking

PUNE/AURANGABAD/NASHIK/MUMBAI: Police on Tuesday carried out preventive detention of 35 alleged members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) in the state, six of whom were from Pune. The action came as part of the nationwide crackdown on PFI.
Pune city police and the state intelligence bureau detained six people linked with the PFI and its political wing, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). Later in the day, a magisterial court took an undertaking from the six men and directed them to stay out of Pune till Dasara.
Pune police commissioner Amitabh Gupta told TOI, "We are closely observing the activities of the office bearers of PFI and SDPI in Kondhwa for maintaining law and order in the city. We have detained six people and taken preventive action against them under Section 151 (3) (arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offence) of CrPC."
DCP (Zone V) Namrata Patil told TOI, "We detained them for questioning to find out their individual role and current activities in the outfits. PFI and SDPI have been on the Pune police's radar for some time now."
Senior inspector Sardar Patil from the Kondhwa police released a video clip saying, "We have taken six men of PFI and SDPI in our custody in the backdrop of the action against them in the past by the NIA and the state ATS."
Assistant public prosecutor Jyoti Waghmare said, "Inspector (Crime) Sanjay Mogale produced the six men before judicial magistrate (first class) C M Ondre and filed a plea to detain them at the Yerawada jail for 14 days."
Lawyers M M Sayyed and Imran Shaikh, representing the six men, claimed that their clients were not members of PFI and SDPI. After hearing both sides, the court took an undertaking from the six men and directed them to stay out of Pune till Dasara.
In Marathwada, 13 PFI office bearers were detained from Aurangabad city, three from Nanded and one each from Jalna and Parbhani was held. A court sent four of the men held in Aurangabad city to judicial custody till October 6. Besides, two each from Malegaon in Nashik district and Ahmednagar and one from Jalgaon were detained.
Aurangabad CP Nikhil Gupta said, "Some PFI members were taken into preventive detention. Four of them were arrested and produced before the court."
Nashik Rural SP Sachin Patil said they arrested two PFI members from Malegaon to ensure that they did not indulge in any illegal activity like organizing rallies or indulging in protests.
The Mumbai Police arrested Sayyed Chowdhary (52), a prominent member of SDPI from Chembur for alleged involvement in anti-national activities. A court remanded him to judicial custody till October 6. Four men were held by Thane crime branch in a late-night operation from Mumbra, Bhiwandi and Kalyan. They were produced in court and released after an undertaking they would maintain law and order in future.