PFI money laundering case: Court sends five PFI functionaries to judicial custody after ED's interrogation

New Delhi: The Patiala House Court on Thursday remanded five Popular Front of India (PFI) functionaries to 14 days of judicial custody after the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) interrogation in connection with a money laundering case.
Vacation judge Chhavi Kapoor remanded all five accused, namely EM Abdul Rahiman, Anis Ahmad, Afsar Pasha, AS Ismail, and Md Shakif to judicial custody after hearing the submissions of ED's counsel.
They were produced after the expiration of six days of ED custody. They were arrested on December 21 by the ED.
During the hearing, the court asked what evidence had been recovered during the custody remand of the accused.
ED's Special Public Prosecutor (SPP), Manish Jain, submitted that the accused were confronted with the evidence recovered during raids and with the accused persons.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested on December 21 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 from crime for terror activities.
ED earlier had arrested 6 PFI functionaries under the sections of money laundering Act. These accused were earlier arrested by NIA and were lodged in judicial custody.
According to the ED, the accused are AS Ismail, one of the founding members of the Popular Front of India (PFI), Md. Shakif State President PFI Karnataka, key signatory, Anis Ahmed, National Secretary PFI till 2020, Afsar Paasha, National Secretary PFI when it was declared unlawful, and EM Abdul Rahiman, who remained National Vice President and was also associated with SIMI.
On December 21, ED initially sought 10 days of custodial remand for 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.
While seeking remand Advocate Naveen Kumar Matta and Manish Jain appeared for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and submitted that the investigation revealed that cash deposits and bank transfers are not genuine transactions and have been affected by PFI to project the unaccounted cash raised through unknown and suspicious sources as untainted and legitimate and from the various incriminating documents seized during search operations at the offices of PFI and the residences of its office bearers on December 3, 2020.
ED's lawyer further revealed that PFI has thousands of active members in Gulf countries and that PFI has been raising and collecting substantial funds from abroad in a well-organized and structured manner. Hence, it is evident that funds collected by PFI abroad are remitted through hawala or underground channels and through remittances sent to the accounts of members, activists, and office bearers of PFI/CFI and other related organizations and funds received from overseas are concealed from the government authorities and statutory compliance is not done by PFI and its related organisations.
Advocates Mohd Faizan and Ishaan Baisla had also applied to the Enforcement Directorate in the matter.
Recently, the Popular Front of India moved to the Delhi High Court challenging the order of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The Tribunal upheld the decision of the Centre government decision to ban Popular Front of India and its affiliates.
Earlier in March, Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma passed the judgement in this regard. After passing the judgement, the Tribunal forwards it to Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
The Tribunal had dismissed the allegations levelled by the PFI organisation that one particular community is being targeted by the government. The associated lawyer in the case stated that the Tribunal, while passing the judgement, noted that the members of PFI and it's affiliates are indulging in secessionist activities that are contrary to the social fabric of the country.
To justify the ban on the terror outfit, the Central government had examined and presented 100 witnesses and had also shown two videos justifying the activities of the organisation and its members, said the associated lawyers in the case
In September last year, the Ministry of Home Affairs had declared Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliates as 'Unlawful Association'
A press statement issued in this regard stated that the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates, affiliates or fronts have been found to be involved in serious offences, including terrorism and its financing, targeted gruesome killings, disregarding the constitutional setup of the country, disturbing public order, etc., which are prejudicial to the integrity, security and sovereignty of the country.
Therefore, the Ministry of Home Affairs found it necessary to curb the nefarious activities of the organisation and has hence declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) along with its associates, affiliates or fronts, including Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO), National Women's Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala, as an "unlawful association" under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.