PFI kept a hitlist with 950 names, including a former judge: As NIA gives evidence in court against banned Islamist org, read how Congress and Left tried to appease, politically support them
In a major revelation, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) told a special court in Kerala that the agency had recovered hit lists containing names of more than 950 individuals targeted by the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI). The disclosure was made during the hearing of bail applications filed by four accused from Palakkad, namely Muhammad Bilal, Riyasudheen, Ansar K P and Saheer K V.
The NIA told the court that they seized the documents during multiple raids, including at Periyar Valley Campus in Aluva. Notably, this location was allegedly being used as an arms training centre. Eight documents were recovered from Sirajudheen, one of the accused, which had names of 240 people from non-Muslim communities marked as potential targets. The agency also seized a wallet from another accused, Abdul Wahad, who is currently absconding. The wallet carried details of five individuals, including a retired district judge.
PFI’s elaborate terror framework
According to the NIA, PFI operated through specialised units including a Reporter Wing that conducted reconnaissance of the possible “enemies”, a Service Wing that executed the murders, and a Physical and Arms Training Wing that trained operatives. These hit lists, according to the NIA, were created based on surveillance inputs gathered by the now-banned organisation.
The NIA recovered another list of 232 names from an accused who later turned approver. During a raid at the house of Ayoob T A, the NIA found another hit list with names of 500 individuals. The NIA stated the findings established the outfit’s systematic planning to eliminate individuals it viewed as obstacles to its radical goals.
India 2047 conspiracy and Sreenivasan’s murder
The agency reiterated that PFI had a long-term plan, code-named “India 2047”, which aimed at establishing Islamic rule in the country. The agenda was discovered during an earlier investigation by the Delhi unit of the investigating agency into a case first registered in Phulwari Sherif of Bihar in 2022. A six-page document outlining the plan was recovered from accused Muhammed Jamaludheen.
The NIA asserted that the murder of RSS leader Sreenivasan in Palakkad was not an isolated act but part of the broader conspiracy aligned with the India 2047 goal. Audio clips and witness testimonies reportedly confirm the dissemination of the plan among PFI cadres.
Court denied bail citing gravity of charges
Citing the seriousness of the case, NIA Special Court Judge P K Mohandas denied bail to all four accused. The court stated that there were reasonable grounds to believe that the accusations were prima facie true. The court cited the applicability of Section 43D(5) of the UAPA and concluded that the case was ready for trial.
While the Left opposed ban on PFI, Congress got its political wing’s support during general elections
When the Popular Front of India was banned in September 2022 by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, the Left had opposed the ban, claiming such bans have no effect. Citing examples of Maoist organisations and the ban briefly imposed on the RSS, the CPI(M) went ahead and accused the RSS of being involved in murders just like the PFI.
On the other hand, the Congress, while it did not openly oppose the ban, argued that if the PFI was to be banned, the RSS should be banned as well.
Interestingly, during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the SDPI, the political arm of the banned organisation PFI, extended support to the Congress in Kerala. The support led to severe backlash, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Home Minister Amit Shah slamming the Congress party for taking SDPI’s support in the polls. Following the backlash, the Congress was forced to deny the support extended by the SDPI.
Later, during the Palakkad bypoll, BJP State President of Kerala, K Surendran, accused the Congress of signing a secret deal with the SDPI for the election. He said in a press conference that a group called Green Army was conducting door-to-door campaigns among a certain community, seeking votes for the UDF, the alliance of which the Congress is a part.
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