The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested two members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) from Rajasthan’s Kota for organising weapons training camps in Jaipur and Kota, along with three other associates of PFI.
As per the NIA, the arrested duo, identified as Vajid Ali and Mubarik Ali, along with three other members of the PFI — Mohammed Asif, Sadiq Sarraf, and Mohammed Sohail — were involved in organising weapons training camps in Jaipur and Kota with the aim of establishing an “Islamic rule in India by the year 2047 and to overthrow the democratically elected Central government through violent acts”.
Mohammed Asif, Sadik Sarraf, and Mohammed Sohail, who have already been chargesheeted by the NIA, were also carrying out the recruitment of members/cadres to the PFI for the purpose of “committing violent acts” and raising funds for the same.
Sadiq Sarraf and Mohammad Asif were also involved in radicalising Muslim youths to commit unlawful activities and terrorist acts in various parts of India, including Rajasthan, NIA added in the statement.
According to the NIA, the PFI collected funds from members of the Muslim community under the guise of Zakat (a kind of charity fund for social development) but funneled them to support weapons trainers and the organisation of training camps.
Notably, PFI was banned by the Union government in September 2022.