ED conducting searches at offices of PFI's political front SDPI in Delhi, other cities

Just days after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) national president MK Faizy on March 3 from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital, the anti-money laundering agency on Thursday conducted searches at its national headquarters in New Delhi and several cities across the country.

The SDPI is a political front of banned terror outfit Popular Front of India (PFI).

The ED is conducting searches at the SDPI's state offices in Thiruvananthapuram and Malappuram in Kerala, Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh, Thane in Maharashtra, Pakur in Jharkhand as well as in Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Lucknow and Jaipur.

Faizy had been arrested by the ED on money laundering charge in connection with the case against banned terror outfit PFI.

On March 4, he was produced in a special court in Delhi that sent him to six-day ED custody.

After recording his statements in January 2024, the agency had summoned Faizy 12 times from March 2024 till February 2025. However, he had not joined the investigation, as alleged.

According to the agency, the SDPI is a “political front” of the PFI and Faizy, who remained a member of the PFI till 2009 and then joined the SDPI as general secretary the same year, has been the national president of the SDPI since 2018.

“As the national president, Faizy exercised authority and control over the activities of the SDPI, which is a recipient, beneficiary and user of proceeds of crime i.e. funds raised by the PFI within and outside India as part of a larger criminal conspiracy, knowing fully well that the PFI is engaged in fund-raising activities as part of a deep-rooted criminal conspiracy to raise and use such funds in various unlawful, violent and terrorist activities in India,” the agency said.

In this regard, the alleged proceeds of crimes quantified by the ED till date amount to Rs 4.07 crore. The probe against the PFI and others is based on two cases registered by the National Investigation Agency, besides the First Information Reports instituted by the other law enforcement agencies.

As alleged, the PFI office-bearers, members and cadre raised/collected funds from India and abroad through banking or “hawala” channels, as part of a conspiracy to commit or finance terror activities across the country. During searches in December 2020, the agency seized evidence purportedly establishing that the now-banned outfit used to control, fund and supervise the activities of the SDPI.

The agency has alleged that the SDPI was a “front” of the PFI having common members/cadre and leaders and “dependent” on the PFI for its day-to-day functions, policy making, selecting candidates for elections, cadre mobilisation, and other related activities.