The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed the fifth chargesheet against the now-banned Muslim group Popular Front of India (PFI) and 19 Muslim activists, including 12 members of its national executive committee (NEC).
The NIA has also frozen 77 bank accounts linked to the group and the accused persons.
Tall Muslim figures former PFI chief and SDPI’s founder president Erappungal Abubacker, veteran journalist and National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations (NCHRO) general secretary professor P Koya, PFI national chairman OMA Salam, vice chairman E.M Abdul Rahiman, national secretary Nasarudheen Elamaram and Kerala unit president CP Muhammad Basheer were named in the fifth chargesheet.
Anis Ahmed, Afsar Pasha, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Abdul Wahid Sait, A.S. Ismail, Md. Yusuf, Basheer, Shafeer K.P., Jaseer K.P., Shahid Nasir, Waseem Ahmed, Shakif, Farooq Ur Rahman and Yasar Arafat were also named in the chargesheet.
The NIA claims that a criminal plot existed to divide the country along communal lines, with the ultimate goal of overthrowing the current secular and democratic governance in India and establishing an Islamic Caliphate with Shariah/Islamic law. According to the NIA, young men were being indoctrinated and trained to use weapons and arms.
Popular Front of India, a prominent Muslim group in India was banned by the Ministry of Home Affairs in September last year with its associates, and affiliates for a period of five years under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by declaring it as an unlawful association.
Hundreds of Muslim activists including prominent Muslim leaders were arrested under draconian UAPA across India following the ban.
