Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) [India], March 21 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate's Special Task Force has arrested Wahidur Rahman Jainullabudeen from Mettupalayam town in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore district in connection with the PFI-SDPI case.

The arrest followed a search operation conducted at Jainullabudeen's residence on Thursday, ED officials, privy to the development, said.

'Jainullabudeen was brought to Delhi on Thursday night for further questioning. The investigation is part of the ongoing probe into alleged financial links and activities of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliated political outfit, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI),' said the officials.

The arrest followed ED's raids conducted at seven locations across Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Kerala on Thursday in the case. The raids were conducted at Mettupalaiyam and Arcot in Tamil Nadu, Bhilwara and Kota in Rajasthan, Kolkata in West Bengal as well as Kottayam and Palakkad in Kerala.

It was search operation conducted by the ED in this month in connection with the case against SDPI.

On March 6, the federal agency had also conducted searches at 12 locations linked to the SDPI, including two locations in Delhi, including the SDPI Headquarters; Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram and Malappuram, Karnataka's Bengaluru, Andhra Pradesh's Nandyal, Maharashtra's Thane, Tamil Nadu's Chennai, Jharkhand's Pakur, West Bengal's Kolkata, Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow and Rajasthan's Jaipur.

These operations are part of an ongoing investigation into the SDPI's activities.

The SDPI, established in 2009, is a political party with a presence in multiple Indian states. In previous instances, such as in 2022, coordinated raids were conducted on SDPI and PFI offices across several states, leading to multiple arrests.

The current raids underscore the ED's ongoing scrutiny of organizations suspected of involvement in activities contravening national laws.

The fresh raids are being conducted days after the federal agency arrested SDPI President Moideen Kutty K alias MK Faizy, from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The ED has also informed through a statement issued earlier that the SDPI was dependent on banned outfit PFI for its day-to-day functions, policy making, selecting candidates for election campaign.

ED has also said that the SDPI is a political front of PFI and Faizy is National President of SDPI since 2018. Faizy, who was arrested on March 3, was on Tuesday remanded to six -day ED custody by a special court in Delhi.

ED initiated investigation against PFI and others under PMLA, 2002 on the basis of a First Information Report registered on August 7, 2013 by the Natonal Investigation Agency's Kochi branch, and another FIR by its Delhi branch on April 13, 2022 along with various FIRs registered by other Law Enforcement Agencies.

'Investigation revealed that the office bearers, members and cadres of Popular Front of India (PFI), were conspiring and raising/collecting funds from within India and abroad through banking channels, Hawala, donations for committing and financing terrorist acts across India,' ED has said.

During a search proceedings conducted on December 3, 2020 at various locations belonging to PFI and its office bearers, the ED said, numerous incriminating documents and digital evidence were recovered and seized, that establishes that 'PFI used to control, fund and supervise the activities of SDPI; that SDPI is a front of PFI having common members and cadres and leaders; that SDPI was dependent on PFI for its day-to-day functions, policy making, selecting candidates for election campaign, public programs, cadre mobilization and other related activities.'

ED has said that the searches then led to recovery of some document that provides insight into the true objectives of the PFI, describing it as an organization committed to advancing an Islamic movement in India by 'endorsing the principles of Jihad in all forms.'

'It positions itself internally as an Islamic movement and externally as a social movement. To achieve these goals, the PFI has established SDPI and several front organizations.

'A letter addressed to 'Faizy Sahab' (MK Faizy) was recovered during the searches conducted at Unity House, Kozhikode (PFI's Kerala State HQ) which mentions about 'Procedures of selecting candidates' for state assembly and parliamentary elections,' mentioned the ED in its statement issued on March 4.

These document, ED then said, reveals that 'PFI was directing SDPI on the process of selecting candidates for both Assembly and Parliamentary elections.'

'The letter, addressed to 'Faizy Sahab' lays out a detailed and structured framework for candidate selection, involving multiple levels of the organization,' said the ED.

Further, the agency said, there are several copies of minutes of meeting and handwritten documents revealing evidence of PFI funding elections contested by SDPI, approval by the National Executive Council (NEC) of PFI for SDPI to collect funds in Gulf countries, and PFI covering legal expenses for SDPI members accused in criminal cases registered by the police which have seized during the searches conducted at Unity House, Kozhikode (PFI's Kerala State HQ).

For example, as per the ED, a diary was seized which contains handwritten minutes of meetings of State Executive Committee (SEC) of PFI dated March 16-17, 2019 which reveals that PFI funded SDPI to the tune of Rs 3.75 crore for the election related purpose.

The expenses made by PFI for and on behalf of SDPI, as mentioned in the dairies and other documents seized during the searches, are not reflected in the bank accounts of PFI, it has said. 'Such funds have been collected by PFI from foreign countries mainly gulf countries in furtherance of criminal conspiracy to raise funds to carry out violent and terrorist activities in India and such funds have also been raised locally in India in the name of Ramadan Collection (RC).'

'As the National President, Faizy exercised authority and control over the activities of SDPI, which is a recipient, beneficiary and user of Proceeds of Crime i.e. funds raised by PFI within and outside India as a part of larger criminal conspiracy knowing fully well that PFI is engaged in the fund-raising activities as a part of a deep- rooted criminal conspiracy to raise and use such funds in various unlawful violent and terrorist activities in India,' said the ED in the statement.

The Proceeds of Crime quantified till date is Rs 4.07 crore which includes funding of SDPI by PFI was made through suspicious, undisclosed, and unaccounted funds as revealed during the investigation.

ED said Faizy was summoned under section 50 of PMLA, 2002 by this directorate multiple times and was given as many as 12 opportunities, but he didn't appear and evaded the investigation.

Hence, a complaint was filed on March 28, 2024 by this Directorate against MK Faizy by a special court in Delhi for his non-appearance before this Directorate. Further, the court issued a Bailable Warrant (BW) vide order dated December 17, 2024 against Faizy.

Subsequently, upon non-execution of BW, a Non-Bailable warrant (NBW) was issued vide order dated January 17, 2025 against Faizy and the same also could not be executed despite best possible efforts made to trace the whereabouts of Faizy.

ED had attached the movable and immovable properties amounting to Rs 61.72 crore in this case till date. So far, nine Prosecution Complaints (PCs) have been filed in this case before the Hon'ble Special Courts (PMLA). Further, 26 office bearers, members and cadres of PFI have already been arrested in this case which include the Chairman, General Secretary, office bearers, and members of PFI and State Executive Councils (NEC & SEC) of the PFI, as well as Physical Education (PE) Coordinators and Trainers who were providing weapons training to the PFI members and cadres. (ANI)