New Delhi: The banned Popular Front of India (PFI) used yoga sessions, martial arts classes and relief activities as a cover to impart arms and explosives training to its cadre, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has told a Special NIA Court in Kerala’s Ernakulam.
In a report filed while opposing the bail plea of Ashraf alias Ashraf Moulavi — national in-charge of the PFI education wing and vice president of the affiliated All India Imams Council — the agency alleged that the organisation ran a structured training programme through its arms training wing.
According to the NIA, the PFI prepared instructors to impart uniform physical and arms training under a common syllabus at various stages. The activities were allegedly conducted under the guise of yoga training, rescue and relief operations, martial arts and other physical development programmes.
Programme was designed to filter cadre through different levels
The agency said the programme was designed to filter cadre through different levels, with selected members receiving arms and explosives training. It alleged that the organisation used its facilities, affiliated institutions, including those run in the name of trusts, and other locations to conduct training camps and secret meetings.
The NIA further claimed that the trained cadre were used to eliminate shortlisted targets based on decisions taken by the organisation’s leadership. It alleged that selected members acted as executioners of decisions taken by a so-called “darul qaza” or pseudo court run by the group.
The agency also alleged that the PFI’s ‘reporters’ wing, described as a quasi-intelligence unit, collected personal information about prominent individuals, particularly from the Hindu community, including details of their daily activities. The data was allegedly compiled at the district level and communicated to the state hierarchy, and later shared with the ‘service’ wing to carry out attacks.
Case pertains to murder of RSS leader in Palakkad
The submissions were made in connection with the murder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Sreenivasan in Palakkad on April 16, 2022. The NIA told the court that Ashraf was part of the conspiracy to kill Sreenivasan to create terror among the Hindu community and the public at large.
Considering the agency’s submissions, the court dismissed the bail plea, observing that there was prima facie material indicating that the petitioner was a leader of the PFI and had a role in the conspiracy and commission of the offence.