Pune School Used To Radicalise By Banned Group PFI: Anti-Terror Agency

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday attached two floors of a school building in Maharashtra's Pune where the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) had been organising camps to radicalise and indoctrinate Muslim youth and further train them for carrying out targeted killings and attacks against leaders and organisations of a particular community.

"The anti-terror agency seized the 4th and 5th floors of the Blue Bell School building that were used by PFI to plan and prepare for carrying out terrorist activities with the aim of "endangering the unity, integrity and security of India", said the agency.

As per the NIA, the PFI was recruiting innocent Muslim youth into the outfit at these premises, and also providing them with armed and unarmed training to eliminate and attack those opposed to the establishment of Islamic Rule in the country by 2047.

The two floors have been attached by the NIA as "proceeds of terrorism" under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 in a case registered by the agency on April 13 last year. The NIA had filed a charge sheet on March 18 this year before a special court in Delhi against 20 accused, including the PFI as an organisation.

The NIA took the step following its search operation conducted at the two floors of the school premises on September 22 last year that led to the seizure of incriminating documents, which revealed that the property was used by the accused, found to be associated with the PFI, for organising Arms Training for its cadres.

"The Training camps served as platforms to incite innocent Muslim youth against the Government, as well as leaders and organisations of a particular community. The camps were also used to inflame their passions and provoke them into embracing violent jihad, with the aim of committing terrorist activities," said the NIA.

"The newly recruited PFI cadres were trained in the use of dangerous weapons, like knives, sickles etc., for attacking and murdering prominent leaders opposed to the outfit's ideology of establishing an Islamic Rule in India," the NIA added.

NIA investigations had earlier revealed that the accused persons were part of the criminal conspiracy to establish a Caliphate and Islamic Rule in India by waging war against the country and toppling the democratically elected government.

"They were all identified as senior PFI cadres, NEC Members, Accountant(s), Authorised signatories of PFI's bank accounts," said the agency, adding "Further investigations are under progress to unearth the roles of other accused persons and suspects in the case."

The NIA has been investigating the activities of the PFI, which was declared as an 'unlawful association' in September 2022.

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