KOCHI: National Investigation Agency (NIA) which is probing the anti-national activities of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) has recovered multiple hit lists containing names of over 950 persons in Kerala from the accused persons. This was submitted by the national agency in the NIA Court while considering the bail petitions of Palakkad natives Muhammad Bilal, Riyasudheen, Ansar K P and Saheer K V recently.
It was in May 2022 that the NIA registered a case against PFI following the direction of the Central government claiming that the group was engaged in anti-national activities. Later, NIA took over a probe into the murder of RSS leader Sreenivasan, of Palakkad, in December 2022.
The murder case was later merged with the PFI case. According to NIA, the ‘Reporter Wing’ of PFI did a recce of leaders of other communities who are a threat to PFI. Later, its Service Wing/hit teams work to eliminate adversaries. It also has a Physical and Arms Training Wing that trains its cadres.
Objecting to the bail petitions filed by four PFI activists, NIA submitted that eight documents seized from 51st accused Sirajudheen contain a list of 240 people from other communities. Following a search held at Periyar Valley Campus at Aluva, NIA recovered details of five targeted persons from the wallet of 15th accused Abdul Wahad who is currently absconding. This list also contained the name of a former district judge.
A document seized from one accused, who turned approver later, contained the hit list with the names of 232 people. Similarly, a search held at the residence of 69th accused Ayoob T A resulted in the recovery of a hit list containing the names of about 500 people. NIA maintained that the Periyar Valley campus in Aluva was an arms training centre of PFI which has been attached under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act declaring it as proceeds of terrorism.
Another contention of NIA is that its New Delhi unit probed a case against PFI that was first registered at Phulwari Sherif Police Station, Bihar in 2022. During the investigation, the agency recovered a six-page document titled ‘India 2047’ from Muhammed Jamaludheen, an accused in that case.
NIA maintained that PFI’s India 2047 agenda is to establish Islamic rule in India and the murder of Sreenivasan was part of this larger conspiracy. NIA also claimed that it has voice clips and witness statements that revealed that audio clips about the India 2047 plan circulated through audio clips.
However, all four petitioners rebutted the allegation against them. They claimed that the allegations against them were fabricated and they were innocent. They have been in custody for over three years and the investigation is over. Since the trial procedure would take time to complete, they may be granted bail in the case.
After hearing both sides and going through the documents produced before it, the court observed that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation against the petitioners is prima facie true. “The allegations against the petitioner are serious in nature.
The final report is already filed and the case is ripe for trial, The proviso to Section 43D(5) of UAPA is applicable in this case and the petitioner is not entitled to be released on bail at this stage. Hence the petition is only to be dismissed,” the court ordered.
CASE FILE
It was in May 2022 that the NIA registered a case against PFI following the direction of the Central government claiming that the group was engaged in anti-national activities.
Later, NIA took over a probe into the murder of RSS leader Sreenivasan, of Palakkad, in December 2022.