Chennai, Sept 22 (BPNS)

Shocked by early morning raids across the country, the Popular Front of India (PFI), the Islamist organization is planning protest marches across Tamil Nadu. The National Investigating Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths conducted raids in many places across Tamil Nadu. The raids are part of a nationwide search and raids being conducted against the PFI in various parts of the country.

NIA sources told BPNS that 106 Popular Front leaders were taken into custody since the early morning  raids across the country. The National President of the organisation, O.M.A. Salam and its General secretary, Naseerudin Elamaram are among those who are taken into custody.

The raids, according to the NIA is due to certain incriminating documents the agency has received over terror funding as also the murders conducted by the organization in Kerala and Karnataka.

It may be noted that three RSS leaders, Sanjith, Adv Ranjith, and Sreenivasan were killed by the Popular Front activists in Palakkad and Kollam districts of the state. A Hindu Munnani and Bajrang Dal activist Harsha was killed by alleged PFI  activists in Shivamoga in Karnataka state. Several documents were seized during the raids conducted after the murders of these people and it was, according to certain sleuths of NIA, found that the Popular Front had prepared a list of RSS and other Hindu activists who are to be done away with.

The NIA and ED raids are due to these killings as also documents indicating some funding. A Popular Front activist, Nasser was earlier taken into custody from Ernakulam in Kerala and he had, according to sleuths revealed of the funding modus operandi of the Popular Front of India.

The NIA and ED on Thursday morning conducted raids at Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Dindigul, Salem, Ramanathapuram, and Erode areas of Tamil Nadu. The raids at the PFI state committee office in Chennai were conducted at 3.30 am and it lasted till 8 am. Sources in the NIA told BPNS that some documents were seized from the office.

The PFI, according to its leaders will be conducting a protest march to the NIA Tamil Nadu head office in Chennai at 2 pm on Thursday.  Roads have been blocked in many parts of the state by the PFI and SDPI activists.

A heavy contingent of CRPF and other central police agencies are providing security to the NIA and ED teams that have conducted the raids at the PFI offices.