KOCHI: In a setback to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), a special court in Kochi has revoked the attachment of ten properties linked to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI).
The ruling comes after a group of trustees and individual property owners filed appeals in the NIA court challenging the attachments, which had been initiated by a designated authority under the ministry of home affairs (MHA) based on NIA’s recommendation since 2022.
Among the properties released are 10.27 hectares of land and a building owned by the Green Valley Foundation in Malappuram, one of the most prominent sites under scrutiny. Other properties include those belonging to the Alleppey Social Cultural Education Trust in Alappuzha, Shahul Hameed in Mannancherry, the Karunya Foundation in Karunagappally, and the Pandalam Educational and Charitable Trust. Properties owned by three individuals in Chavakkad, land under the Islamic Centre Trust in Mananthavady, premises of the Abdul Sathar Haji Moosa Sait mosque in Aluva, a shopping complex in Pattambi, and a building in Meenchanda, Kozhikode were also included in the release order.
The properties were attached following NIA’s assertion that they were being used to further PFI activities. The agency claimed that several PFI offices had operated from these locations, in some cases on a rental basis.
In the case of the Green Valley Foundation, the NIA alleged that it functioned under the direct supervision of its board of trustees, who were PFI leaders. The agency further claimed that the campus was used to shelter PFI cadres and to conduct physical and arms training, including the fabrication and use of improvised explosive devices.
Members of the foundation countered that the trust was established in 1993 — well before the formation of PFI or its earlier avatar, the banned National Development Front (NDF). They maintained that the trust was founded to promote cultural, social, educational, charitable, and agricultural activities, and that its assets did not constitute proceeds of terrorism, as alleged by the NIA.
The trustees also noted that none of the current members are named in the NIA’s case against PFI. While Abdul Rahman, a former vice-chairman of PFI and a founding member of the trust, was named as an accused in the NIA case, they pointed out that he was associated with the trust only for a brief period and no longer holds any position within it.
The NIA opposed the appeals, presenting documentary evidence and witness statements to support its claim that unlawful activities, including arms training, were conducted at the Green Valley indoor stadium.
The agency also cited the testimony of an approver who claimed to have undergone training at Green Valley, Malabar House, and Valluvanad House. After considering submissions from both sides, the court ruled to revoke the property attachment orders issued by the designated authority. In its order, the court observed,
“Though there are materials to show that the indoor stadium and the land in which the same is situated represent proceeds of terrorism, it is not possible to sustain the order with respect to only part of the property, as the property to be attached must be clearly identifiable. There should also be material to show that the activities were conducted with the consent and connivance of the trustee or person in management of the trust’s properties.”
While revoking the attachment orders, the court clarified that its ruling would not prevent the investigating officer from initiating fresh proceedings, if further evidence emerges suggesting that any of the properties in question represent proceeds of terrorism.