New Delhi: The investigations carried out by multiple agencies have found that the Popular Front of India (PFI) is linked with global terrorist groups like the ISIS and JMB, the Centre said on Wednesday.

The funds were raised as part of a well-crafted criminal conspiracy

It has also been discovered that the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts operate openly as socio-economic, educational and political organisations, but they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalize a particular section of the society.

So far the investigation by the multiple agencies have disclosed that some of the PFI’s founding members are the leaders of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and PFI has linkages with Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) (JMB), both of which are proscribed organisations.

There had been a number of instances of international linkages of PFI with global terrorist groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been working covertly to increase radicalisation of one community by promoting a sense of insecurity in the country, which is substantiated by the fact that some PFI cadres have joined international terrorist organisations.

As per the Ministry of Home Affairs, there had been a number of instances of international linkages of PFI with global terrorist groups and some activists of the PFI have joined Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and participated in terror activities in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of these PFI cadres linked to ISIS have been killed in these conflict theaters and some have been arrested by State Police and Central Agencies and also the PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a proscribed terrorist organisation.

The Centre on Wednesday through its notification said that the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty and security of the country and have the potential of disturbing public peace and communal harmony of the country and supporting militancy in the country.

The Centre banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates for a period of five years. The affiliates include 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”.

The law enforcement agencies have so far in their investigations found that the office-bearers and cadres of the Popular Front of India (PFI) along with others were conspiring and raising funds from within India and abroad through the banking channels, hawala, donations, etc.

As per the Ministry of Home Affairs, the funds were raised as part of a well-crafted criminal conspiracy, and the PFI has been found transferring, layering and integrating these funds through multiple accounts to project them as legitimate and eventually using these funds to carry out various criminal, unlawful and terrorist activities in India.

The Centre on Wednesday banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates for a period of five years. The affiliates include 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”.

The investigations have revealed that the sources of deposits on behalf of PFI with respect to its several bank accounts were not supported by the financial profiles of the account holders and the activities of PFI were not being carried out as per their declared objectives.

As per the notification, the Income Tax Department cancelled the registration granted to PFI under section 12A or 12AA of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (43 of 1961). The Income Tax Department also cancelled the registration granted to Rehab India Foundation under section 12A or section 12AA of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

As per the investigating agencies, the associates or affiliates or fronts have a ‘Hub and Spoke’ relationship with the PFI acting as the Hub and utilising the mass outreach and fund raising capacity of its associates or affiliates or fronts for strengthening its capability for unlawful activities and these associates or affiliates or fronts function as ‘roots and capillaries’ through which the PFI is fed and strengthened.