KOCHI: Even as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and National Investigation Agency (NIA) continue their probe against activists of Popular Front of India (PFI), the Keralites who have donated funds to Rehab India Foundation (RIF) — a front organisation of PFI that was into charity activities in the north and north eastern states — will come under ED scanner.
The ED has found that Abdul Razak BP, a prominent leader of PFI from Malappuram, was instrumental in raising funds from various sources in Kerala and abroad for RIF. The ED probe said Abdul Razak, a long-time dedicated member of PFI and its related entities, was actively involved in raising fund and had transferred it to RIF on multiple occasions.
As per a statement of ED, more than Rs 60 crore was deposited in the accounts of PFI since 2009. The accounts of the RIF alone received Rs 58 crore since 2010. “There has been large cash donations from various sources.
Those who have contributed funds to RIF will also be probed,” said ED sources. The ED, which froze 10 bank accounts of RIF, has already launched a detailed probe into the financial transactions through the accounts.
“The PFI operated a lot of bank accounts in the name of different organisations set up by them, including RIF. They have been getting huge support from Keralites having network in Middle East countries,” said an ED source.
The ED had found that to obliterate the fund trail and circumvent the regulatory rigour, funds mobilised from within the country were deposited in the bank accounts of various individuals and immediately thereafter, they were transferred to PFI’s bank accounts.
The funds raised from abroad were transferred by way of foreign remittances into the bank accounts of sympathisers, office-bearers, members and their relatives in India, and thereafter, the funds were transferred to the bank accounts of RIF, it stated.