Money laundering case: Delhi court sends 5 PFI functionaries to judicial custody after ED questioning

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The Patiala House Court remanded five members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) to judicial prison for 14 days following an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into a money laundering case, stated a report in ANI.

According to the report, after hearing the ED's counsel comments, the judge, Chhavi Kapoor, ordered judicial custody for EM Abdul Rahiman, Anis Ahmad, Afsar Pasha, AS Ismail, and Md Shakif, marking the end of their six-day ED custody following their arrest on December 21.

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Manish Jain, the ED's Special Public Prosecutor (SPP), said the court that the accused were presented with evidence obtained during raids as well as the accused themselves, the report added.

Reportedly, the ED has earlier arrested six PFI officials on money laundering allegations, citing their participation in raising funds for alleged terrorist activities. AS Ismail, Md Shakif, Anis Ahmed, Afsar Paasha, and EM Abdul Rahiman were among those arrested recently, each with a specific function within PFI.

The ED's solicitors said that investigations uncovered inauthentic financial inflows and transfers and that PFI managed unexplained monies through questionable routes. The ED further said that PFI operated extensively internationally, collecting cash in ways that were not declared, indicating a systematic concealment of overseas funds, the ANI report further stated.

The Ministry of Home Affairs banned the Popular Front of India and its affiliates in September last year under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The prohibition was imposed in response to significant claims against PFI, including terrorism, disruption of public order, and threats to the country's integrity and sovereignty.

Furthermore, the PFI's recent challenge to the ban in the Delhi High Court was dismissed by the Tribunal, confirming the government's decision. The Tribunal's decision emphasised acts that are harmful to the nation's social fabric, while rejecting charges of targeting certain communities, the ANI report added.

The Central government, justifying the ban, presented 100 witnesses and evidence, including videos showcasing the organization's activities, the ANI report stated. The Ministry of Home Affairs had cited various offences by PFI and its associates, leading to the declaration of the organization as an "unlawful association" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.