BENGALURU: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested 17 people from seven districts in Karnataka as part of the coordinated countrywide raids on the Popular Front of India (PFI) on Thursday.
In Bengaluru, the NIA raided the Raga Apartment on the Kannur road in Bagalur police limits and searched the flat of a PFI activist. The central agency also raided the houses of PFI national secretary Mohammed Shakib in Richmond Town, national secretary Afsar Pasha in Padarayanapura and PFI state president Naseer Pasha on Tannery Road.
At Richmond Town, when the NIA team was leaving after the raid on the house of Mohammed Shakib, some youths raised slogans against the NIA. Shaqib was not at home at that time and only his wife and children were present.
At the PFI state headquarters in Frazer Town, Pulakeshi Nagar, the NIA seized six mobile phones. The team was accompanied by 12 cyber crime police personnel to retrieve data. Other digital evidence was also collected. Here too, ‘Go Back NIA’ slogans were raised.
The PFI’s social media activities were being conducted from the Frazer Town office and radicalisation of youths was also being done from here.
The NIA arrested seven activists from Shivamogga and took them to an undisclosed location. During the raid on the house of Shahid Khan, they found Rs 20 lakh in cash. Shahid Khan has 11 cases registered against him and is linked to the DJ Halli-KG Halli riots case.
The NIA also searched for eight PFI state committee members at two offices in the state. The agency was on the lookout for A K Ashraf, Sharif Bajpe, Nawaz Kavoor, Moiuddin Haleyangadi, Mohammed Shaqib, Mohammed Tafsir, Yasir Hasan and Abdul Khader Puttur in Mangaluru.
In Bengaluru, the NIA arrested PFI national secretary national secretary Afsar Pasha and state president Naseer Pasha.
In Davanagere, the NIA arrested Imanuddin, a long-time worker of PFI. The agency also raided his house at MCC A Block and seized a laptop and mobile phone. The officers also questioned two other people, including a youth identified as Abu Tahir, who hails from Harihar. Tahir had gone to a relative’s house in Davanagere on Wednesday night and he was questioned about his links with SDPI and PFI.
PFI leader Ajaz Ali was arrested from Kalaburagi and Rs 14 lakh cash was seized from his house along with some documents.
Koppal district president Abdul Fayaz was arrested from Gangavati and taken to the KG Halli police station in Bengaluru.
The agency also raided the house of SDPI leader Ajaz Abdul Shukoor Honnavar (45) at Tipu Nagar in Siris and arrested him. One laptop, two mobile phones, a book and a CD were seized. His brother Mohsin Abdul Shukoor’s house was also raided, but he was not present at home. Mohsin is a PFI activist.
In Mangaluru, the NIA picked up PFI state secretary A K Ashraf from Jokatte, rural district president Nawaz Kavoor, a resident of Kavoor and Moiuddin Haleyangadi. The officers also broke open the door of the PFI office and seized several documents and computer hard disks.
In Mysuru, former PFI district president Kaleemuddin was arrested from Shantinagar and taken to Bengaluru. PFI activists gheraoed the CCB office near St Philomena Church and tried to block the vehicle in which Kaleemuddin was being taken.
The NIA was on the search for another activist from a different district who is believed to be hiding in Udupi after his phone number was traced to Kaup and Hiriyadka police limits.