Kerala PFI Case: NIA arrests High Court advocate, brands him 'hit squad trainer'

On Thursday, a spokesperson of the federal agency said that Mohammed Mubarak AI, a resident of Edavanakkad in Ernakulam district, was the fourteenth person to be arrested in the case, subsequent to searches conducted at 56 locations in the state.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday (December 30) arrested a lawyer in a case related to "unlawful and violent activities" by the banned Popular Front of India in Kerala.

On Thursday, a spokesperson of the federal agency said that Mohammed Mubarak AI, a resident of Edavanakkad in Ernakulam district, was the fourteenth person to be arrested in the case, subsequent to searches conducted at 56 locations in the state.

"Mubarak is a PFI (Popular Front of India) martial arts and hit squad trainer/member. He is a practicing advocate in the Kerala High Court," the official said.

The spokesman said that during the searches of his home, a variety of weapons, including an axe, swords, and sickles hidden in a badminton racket bag, were seized.

"Investigations have confirmed that the PFI was raising, training and maintaining hit squads in different states and districts to target leaders and members of other communities," the spokesperson said.

In a major crackdown against the PFI in Kerala, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had conducted searches at 56 locations across 12 districts at the residences of seven state executive committee members and as many zonal heads of the PFI.

"Houses of 15 physical training instructors or trainers and seven members trained in using knives, daggers, swords and other types of weapons to carry out murderous violent acts were also searched," the official said.

On September 22, the NIA had conducted searches at 24 locations in Kerala, including at the offices of the PFI and residences of 13 accused.

(With inputs from PTI)