ED attaches fresh assets worth Rs 67 crore in money-laundering case against PFI

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday said it has issued a fresh attachment order to freeze assets worth Rs 67 crore as part of its money-laundering probe against banned terrorist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI).

The federal probe agency, in a statement, said these properties were “beneficially owned and controlled” by the PFI and held in the name of various trusts, apart from that of its political front—Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).

The Centre banned the PFI in September 2022, after coordinated raids were carried out by the ED, National Investigation Agency (NIA) and various state police forces, calling it an unlawful association that indulged in terror activities.

The SDPI was founded in 2009. It is also registered as a political party with the Election Commission (EC).

A provisional order was issued on November 6 to freeze assets worth Rs 67.03 crore, the ED said.

With the latest attachment, the total assets placed under freeze in the case stands at Rs 129 crore now.

The properties are registered in the names of various entities, such as Green Valley Foundation, Alappuzha Social Cultural and Education Trust, Pandalam Educational and Cultural Trust in Pathanamthitta, Islamic Centre Trust in Wayanad, Haritham Foundation (Poovanchina) in Malappuram, Periyar Valley Charitable Trust at Aluva, Vallavunad Trust in Palakkad and some plots of the SDPI in Thiruvananthapuram.

The ED said its probe has found that the PFI conducted physical education training programmes and built sheds on a number of such properties, including at Valluvanad House Pattambi and Malabar House (Haritham Foundation).

“PFI was conducting extensive PE classes on the properties registered under dummy owners’ names for imparting offensive and defensive manoeuvres using various arms.... The PE classes were aimed to prepare cadres and members for fulfilling their Jihadist agenda and using them for committing various unlawful activities,” the federal agency said.

PFI ideologues were former members of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), which in turn, was the students’ wings of the Jamaat-e-Islami, according to the ED.

“The history of origin of PFI can be traced back to the ban of Jamaat-e-Islami after the demolition of Babri Masjid. At that time, properties of Jamaat-e-Islami were attached and sealed under the UAPA.

“Taking inspiration from these developments, senior PFI members who were part of National Development Front (NDF) at that time, deliberately formed various trusts all across Kerala and registered various properties owned and controlled by PFI under them,” it said.

The agency has quantified the alleged proceeds of crime (funds generated illicitly) accumulated by the PFI at Rs 131 crore.

“These proceeds were used for furtherance of criminal conspiracy to carry out violent and terrorist activities in India to achieve the goal of forming an Islamic nation of India, jeopardising our secular fabric and disrupting the unity and integrity of the nation,” it said.

The ED said the PFI was raising and collecting funds from within India and abroad through banking channels, hawala, donations etc. for committing and financing terrorist acts across India.

The agency has filed multiple chargesheets in the case and arrested 28 PFI leaders and cadre, including SDPI national president M K Faizy.