The National Investigative Agency (NIA) has arrested an Advocate practicing in the Kerala High Court in the raids conducted by it Thursday across Kerala in the houses of dozens of Muslim leaders and activists allegedly associated with banned outfit Popular Front of India.
Advocate Muhammed Mubarak was produced Friday before the Special NIA Court in Ernakulam. The Court has remanded him to judicial custody till January 13.
The lawyer was arrested from Vyppin in Kerala’s Eranakulam.
“This arrest was made subsequent to the searches conducted at 56 locations in Kerala including the residence of Mohammed Mubarak A.I who is a PFI Martial Arts and Hit Squad Trainer/member,” read the NIA press release.
“He’s a practicing Advocate in the Hon’ble Kerala High Court. An assortment of arms, concealed in badminton racket bag; were recovered from his house during the searches yesterday, including an axe, swords and sickles. Investigations have confirmed that the PFI was raising, training and maintaining Hit Squads in different States and districts to target leaders and members of other communities,” the central agency said.
The central agency said it is the fourteenth arrest in the Kerala PFI case.
Popular Front of India, a prominent Muslim group in India was banned by the Ministry of Home Affairs in September this 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.
 has arrested an Advocate practicing in the Kerala High Court in the raids conducted by it Thursday across Kerala in the houses of dozens of Muslim leaders and activists allegedly associated with banned outfit Popular Front of India.){kind=link}