NIA raids in 6 States against banned PFI

NEW DELHI,

THE NIA on Wednesday carried out searches at 20 locations across six States against the banned Popular Front of India in connection with a case related to creating disturbance during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bihar last year, officials said. An official spokesperson said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out extensive search operations at 20 different locations, including Fazalpur, Shaheen Bagh, Okhla and Chandni Chowk in the national capital. Raids were conducted in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, Thane and Mumbai in Maharashtra, Tonk and Gangapur in Rajasthan, and Lucknow, Siddharthnagar, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Kanpur and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, he said. Additionally, searches were also conducted in Shaikh was an accused in the 2006 railway blasts case but a trial court acquitted him of all the charges.

The NIA team conducting a raid had to wait outside his residence in suburban Vikhroli on Wednesday as he did not open the door for more than six hours, an official said. “An NIA team along with that of the Mumbai Police reached the residence of Abdul Wahid Shaikh, who was earlier accused in the 7/11 train blasts case, located inside a chawl at Parksite in Vikhroli around 5 am. But Shaikh did not open the door for more than six hours and kept the officials waiting outside,” the official said. From inside the house, Shaikh demanded a search warrant from the NIA, he said, adding that he opened the door around 11.15 am after his lawyer and some local social activists reached the spot, he said.

“The NIA team then entered his residence and started their inquiry in connection with the PFI-related case,” the official said. A large number of police personnel were deployed outside Shaikh’s residence, he said. Shaikh earlier posted a video message on WhatsApp, saying the police and some people had gathered outside his residence since 5 am. “They want to enter my house, also broke one door and damaged the CCTV camera of my house. They are not showing any documents to me pertaining to the case or any FIR,” he claimed. Raids were conducted in Tonk, Kota and Gangapur in Rajasthan and Hauz Kaji, Ballimaran, in the national capital. In September 2022, the Government imposed a ban on the PFI for its alleged unlawful activities.