KOCHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing money laundering by the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its student wing Campus Front of India (CFI) on Thursday said over Rs 100 crore was deposited into the bank accounts of the front in the last few years.
The ED made this revelation in a report filed at the Special Court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases in Kochi. The report was filed to seek extension of custody of KA Rauf Sheriff, a national general secretary of CFI, for three more days.
"The investigation conducted by the ED against PFI has so far revealed that more than 100 crores have been deposited in the bank account of the PFI over the years and a very large part of the same has been deposited in cash. The source and disbursal of these funds is under investigation. Since 2013, PFI has been indulging in various scheduled offences and the money transfers and cash deposits have significantly increased after 2014," the ED report said.
The ED report also claimed that the PFI was involved in anti-CAA protests. "Funds during the period of December 2019 to February 2020 may have been used for this (anti-CAA protest) purpose. In another case of money laundering in the Delhi riots of February 2020 probed by the ED, the role of PFI leaders and office bearers has come to our notice. Several PFI members were also arrested in the Delhi riots case. There is also indication that PFI has links with the recent violence in Bengaluru in which its political wing SDPI has been found involved. PFI has also been involved in various cases in the past in which public order was disturbed and various offences of grave nature were committed by members of the organisation," the report said.
The ED said during the search operation carried out at residences of persons associated with PFI, it has come to light that funds were collected from abroad by the front. "Targets for foreign collection are fixed. PFI members were appointed for collection of these funds. Since these foreign funds are not reflected in the bank accounts of PFI, it is evident that the same have been remitted through hawala or underground channels," the report said.
Earlier, the ED had said it was Rauf who funded the travel of four persons including Malayalam journalist Siddique Kappan who were arrested by Uttar Pradesh on the way to Hathras following the gang-rape incident. It was found that the CFI has no bank account and all money for the organisation was routed to Rauf.
In his ICICI Bank account, the ED found Rs 1.35 crores deposited during the 2018-2020 time period. Similarly in his Federal Bank account, a fund of Rs 67 lakhs was traced. In his Axis Bank account, a fund of Rs 20 lakhs was traced. Rauf used the money to procure land and vehicles.
Meanwhile, Rauf, who was produced in the court, said the money in the account came from the import-export business. He said he is a general manager of a trading company in Oman. He complained that he underwent mental torture while being in ED custody. He said ED officials asked him to put his signature on 10 blank sheets of paper and his statement was not properly recorded. ED officials threatened his brother and the agency is trying to link him with persons whom he doesn't know, he said.
The court after hearing the ED counsel and defence counsel decided to extend his custody for three more days. Rauf was intercepted at Thiruvananthapuram airport while attempting to travel abroad early this month.