KOCHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), as part of the probe into the alleged money laundering by Popular Front of India (PFI), carried out searches at houses of local party leaders in Muvattupuzha, Idukki, Malappuram and Kannur. It was an ED team from New Delhi coordinating with its units in Kochi and Kozhikode that carried out the searches.
While the searches were going at the residences of Tamar Ashraf in Muvattupuzha and Pazhayath Shafeeque in Kannur, PFI and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) activists gathered outside and shouted slogans. At Ashraf’s house, the raid started as early as 7am. Ashraf was accused in the case related to chopping the palm of professor T J Joseph in 2010. However, the National Investigation Agency, after taking over the probe, discharged him from the case.
“After coming to know about the raid, over 100 PFI and SDPI activists gathered at the residence of Tamar Ashraf. There were six ED officials accompanied by 10 policemen. Due to the mob gathering, the ED officials were blocked inside. Following the arrival of more police, the raid was completed and the team returned with seized documents before 11am,” a police official at Muvattupuzha said. A similar situation was at the residence of Shafeeque where the raid started by 8am. Both Ashraf and Shafeeque had businesses in the UAE.
“The ED team from the headquarters is probing a case related to money sources of PFI. This case was linked to the funding for the Hathras and anti-CAA protests in which Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan was arrested. During the raids, several documents are seized. Earlier, similar raids have carried out at the houses and offices of people associated with PFI,” an ED officer said. The ED, which filed a preliminary chargesheet against Kappan and four others earlier this year at a court in Lucknow claimed that PFI received several crores of rupees from abroad for anti-CAA protest activities.