KOCHI: The Enforcement Directorate, probing the money laundering probe against the Popular Front of India (PFI), on Tuesday alleged the Kerala-based outfit had raised substantial funds to organise terrorist training camps in Kerala.
The ED said this in a statement filed in a Special Court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act cases here, opposing the bail plea filed by PFI's student wing leader K A Rauf Sharif, arrested in connection with the money laundering probe.
In the statement, the ED said it had taken up a case after a charge-sheet filed by NIA in a special NIA court here in 2013 stated that a group of PFI/SDPI activists entered into criminal conspiracy to impart training to their cadres in use of explosives and weapons and organised a terror camp at Narath in Kannur district.
It was organised with an intention to promote enmity between different religions, prepare them for terrorist activites, and thereby committed acts endangering the unity and integrity of the nation, the charge-sheet said.
"Since PFI has raised substantial funds to organise terrorist training camps, its related activities and to disturb communal harmony...during the course of investigation, details of numerous bank accounts of PFI and related entities were obtained and their bank statements were analysed," the ED said.
"Statements of various functionaries of PFI and related entities were also recorded during the course of investigation," it said.
Opposing the bail plea of Sharif, the ED alleged that the foreign remittances received by Sharif were of a highly suspicious nature and appear to have been routed to his account disguised as payments related to international trade.
The agency said documents and digital devices were seized during the recent search operations conducted at the offices of the PFI and at the residences of its office-bearers across India reveal that the outfit has been collecting huge amounts of funds abroad.
"Since these foreign funds are not reflected in the bank accounts of PFI, it is evident that same have been remitted to them through hawala/underground channels."
Further, statutory compliance for collection of funds abroad and their remittance to India have not been done by PFI.
"It is evident that PFI and its associated organisations like Campus Front of India (CFI), of which Sharif is the national general secretary, have been continuously involved in the offence of money laundering and have been using the proceeds of crime for committing unlawful activities across India," the agency said.
The agency submitted that the judicial custody of Sharif during this crucial phase of investigation was imperative as he may try to influence witnesses and tamper with/destroy material evidence if he is released on bail.
The agency alleged that Sharif had transferred funds to one Ateeq Ur Rehman arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police along with three other persons including a journalist from Kerala, who were travelling to Hathras in the wake of rape and murder of a Dalit girl late last year, "to disturb social harmony and to incite communal riots."
"Further, there is huge withdrawal of cash from the accounts of the accused which is suspicious in nature," it said.
Last month, the ED had filed an affidavit in the court claiming that its investigation in the case so far revealed that the PFI has received more than Rs 100 crore in its bank accounts over the years.
The 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 the members of the organisations, it had said in the affidavit.
Dismissing the allegations as baseless, Popular Front of India national secretary Nasarudheen Elamaram on Tuesday alleged the ED was being used as a tool by the BJP-led government at the Centre to corner their political opponents.
In a statement issued on December 26, the PFI had said the fund received in its bank accounts were donations from the public, which is open before the agencies and accounted everything to the penny.