Did ED Attach Eight Properties Worth Rs 67 Crore from PFI?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- ED's crackdown targets properties linked to PFI.
- Total attachments now exceed Rs 129 crore.
- Properties were used for terror-related training.
- PFI's origins can be traced back to past organizations like SIMI.
- The need for vigilance against terror financing remains critical.
New Delhi, Nov 8 (NationPress) In a significant move against terror funding, the ED has attached eight immovable properties valued at Rs 67.03 crore that were owned and controlled by the Popular Front of India (PFI), as confirmed by officials on Saturday.
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Headquarters office, stated that these properties were held under various trusts and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), which is PFI's political front.
The properties were attached by the ED via an order dated November 6 and are registered under trusts and foundations, including Green Valley Foundation, Alappuzha Social Cultural and Education Trust, Pandalam Educational and Cultural Trust in Pathanamthitta, Islamic Centre Trust in Wayanad, Haritham Foundation in Poovanchina, Malappuram, Periyar Valley Charitable Trust in Aluva, Vallavunad Trust in Palakkad, and the land of SDPI in Trivandrum.
According to the ED's statement, they have provisionally attached movable and immovable assets worth Rs 61.98 crore through nine Provisional Attachment Orders (PAOs) related to this case, and these have been confirmed by the Ld. Adjudicating Authority under the PMLA. The total value of attachments in this case, including the latest Rs 67.03 crore, now amounts to Rs 129 crore.
An official from the ED reported that seized documents indicated that PFI organized multiple Physical Education (PE) training programs and constructed sheds on various properties. Notable examples include Valluvanad House Pattambi and Malabar House (Haritam Foundation), which have now been attached by the ED.
These PE classes were purportedly designed to prepare members for their Jihadist agenda and to engage in various unlawful activities, as per the ED.
The investigation revealed that PFI's ideologies stem from individuals who were formerly part of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), which was the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami. The origins of PFI can be traced back to the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami following the demolition of the Babri Masjid. At that time, properties of Jamaat-e-Islami were seized under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
In response to these developments, senior PFI members, who had ties with the National Development Front (NDF) at the time, deliberately established various trusts throughout Kerala, registering properties owned and controlled by PFI under these entities, as noted by the ED.