The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Kochi on Friday remanded 11 activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) who were arrested as part of a nationwide crackdown by the agency on September 22 in judicial custody till October 20.
They were presented before the court after the custody by the NIA ended on Friday. The agency requested the court to shift the accused to the high-security prison at Viyyur stating that it had CCTV facility. The court said it could be considered if the agency filed a separate application requesting the transfer.
The agency informed the court that the investigation was progressing and it was yet to receive the mirror images of the digital evidence seized during the raids held at the offices and residences of the accused.
The NIA also sought the custody of A. Abdul Sathar, State general secretary of the now-banned PFI, who was arrested from Karunagapally in Kollam on September 28 saying that a detailed interrogation was required as part of the ongoing probe. He will be produced before the court on October 3.
Remand report
As per a remand report filed by the agency before the NIA court, office-bearers, members and affiliates of the PFI in Kerala encouraged vulnerable youths to join terrorist organisations, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Islamic State/Daesh and Al-Qaeda and conspired to establish Islamic rule in India by committing terrorist acts as a part of violent jihad.
The report further stated that they conspired to propagate an alternative justice delivery system to justify the use of criminal force and caused alarm and fear among the general public.
They conspired to indulge in unlawful activities by creating enmity between members of different religions and groups, prejudicial to maintenance of harmony, with an intention to disrupt public tranquillity and cause disaffection against India by wrongful interpretation of government policies to a particular section of people.
