ED arrests five PFI leaders, remands them for six days

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Friday arrested five more key functionaries of the banned organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) and produced them in court, stating that all these five people were involved in the generation of proceeds of crime for terror activities.

ED had recently arrested six PFI functionaries under sections of the Money Laundering Act. These accused were earlier arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and lodged in judicial custody.

According to the ED, the accused are (1) AS Ismail one of the founding members of Popular Front of India (PFI), (2) Md Shakif State President PFI Karnataka, key signatory, (3) Anis Ahmed, National Secretary PFI till 2020, (4) Afsar Paasha, National Secretary PFI when it was declared unlawful, (5) EM Abdul Rahiman - Remained National Vice President and also associated with Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

All the accused were produced before the court on Friday and ED initially sought 10 days custodial remand of them saying they were directly involved and were knowingly a party to the various processes and activities connected with the proceeds of crime and thus committed the offence of money laundering as defined under Section 3 of PMLA, 2002.