NIA Conducts Raids in Malappuram, Custody of Four Individuals
Click to start listening
Synopsis
On April 4, the NIA arrested four individuals in Malappuram, Kerala, following raids linked to the SDPI, the political wing of the banned PFI, amid ongoing investigations related to money laundering.
Key Takeaways
- Four individuals were taken into custody by the NIA.
- The raids occurred in Malappuram district.
- These actions are part of a broader investigation into SDPI and its connections to PFI.
- Previous ED raids targeted SDPI activists.
- M.K. Faizy's arrest is central to the ongoing investigation.
Malappuram, April 4 (NationPress) The National Investigating Agency (NIA) apprehended four individuals on Friday following the execution of raids at five residences in Kerala's Malappuram district.
This operation is part of ongoing actions initiated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which had previously searched the homes and offices of certain SDPI members in March.
The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) serves as the political wing of the now-outlawed Popular Front of India (PFI).
The NIA's Kochi unit began its operation at around 3 a.m., targeting five locations in the district.
Further information regarding the apprehended individuals is forthcoming.
On March 6, the ED conducted searches across three districts in the state, and on March 20, they once again focused on the homes and offices of SDPI activists. These actions followed the arrest of SDPI’s National President M.K. Faizy in connection with an alleged money laundering investigation linked to the PFI.
Faizy was detained at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on March 3 and was later presented before a special court dealing with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at the Patiala House.
The court sanctioned the ED with six days of custodial interrogation.
Investigators allege that the SDPI received approximately Rs 4.07 crore from the PFI via illegal hawala channels and purportedly redirected these funds to its units across the nation.
Established in 2009, the SDPI has faced long-standing allegations of maintaining strong links with the PFI, which the Union government banned in 2022 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) due to its suspected involvement in activities deemed anti-national.
While the SDPI has continuously refuted any direct connection with the PFI, asserting its status as an independent political entity, the recent arrest of Faizy and the renewed raids have once again cast scrutiny on the party’s financial transactions.
Prior to this, the ED had contacted the Election Commission of India to obtain information regarding the SDPI's funding and expenditure over the years as part of its ongoing enforcement actions.
