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Investigators dig up PFI 'roadmap 2047'; on target were Jewish tourists, cops, judges

Officials have claimed that the outfit extensively used social media to recruit youths for anti-national activities. One of its modules, officials claimed, had even prepared to target foreigners, especially Jews, visiting Vattakkanal -- a tiny hill station in Tamil Nadu.

Investigators dig up PFI 'roadmap 2047'; on target were Jewish tourists, cops, judges
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First Published Sep 29, 2022, 9:13 PM IST

Incriminating documents recovered during the raids carried out against the now-banned Popular Front of India have shown that the radical outfit 'roadmap' chalked out till 2047 and allegedly conspired to attack senior police officers and high court judges.

Officials have claimed that the outfit extensively used social media to recruit youths for anti-national activities. One of its modules, officials claimed, had even prepared to target foreigners, especially Jews, visiting Vattakkanal -- a tiny hill station in Tamil Nadu.

Also Read: Kerala High Court directs PFI to pay Rs 5.2 crore as damages during bandh

As part of the ongoing crackdown against the PFI, the Twitter handle of the Islamic outfit was taken down. The action came a day after the group and its eight affiliates were banned by the Union government for five years for alleged links with global terrorist outfits like ISIS and for allegedly conspiring to spread communal hatred in the country.

Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Vineet Agarwal said that incriminating documents were seized from people arrested during its recent operation in the state. One of the documents spoke about the outfit's 'roadmap' till 2047.

The seized document also allegedly revealed that members of the group were planning to execute targeted killings, Agarwal, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), said without refusing to go into details. The ATS is currently trying to retrieve data from some gadgets confiscated from the accused. 

Also Read: PFI has close ties with hardline Turkish group that provides arms to Syrian jihadists: Officials

Meanwhile, several state governments issued orders to district collectors and police commissioners to implement the Centre's ban. In Tamil Nadu, security was beefed up in Pollachi near Coimbatore after the police received a letter threatening to hurl petrol bombs at 16 places in the town. According to the Coimbatore police, the threat letter read: 'We are not against the police, but want to create law and order  problem.' The letter was sent allegedly by the PFI and the SDPI, the political wing of the Islamic outfit.

Sources said that the National Investigation Agency probe had found that a module of about 15 youths and their associates from southern India -- mostly PFI members or those drawn to ISIS -- had planned to target senior police officers, high court judges and Muslims belonging to the Ahmadiyya sect.

The module had allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy to target important persons and places of public importance and wage war against the government by collecting explosives and other offensive materials.

Also Read: Official PFI Twitter account taken down 'in response to legal demand'

The module, identified as Ansar-ul-Khilafa Kerala, had also indulged in a secret campaign of motivating, recruiting and radicalizing Muslim youths to join ISIS/ISIL, sources said, adding that the associates used various Internet-based platforms (both surface and deep web) for propagating ISIS ideology.

Five suspects -- Manseed, Swalith Mohammed, Rashid Ali Safvan and Jasim NK -- were traced and arrested in Kannur district in Kerala on October 2, 2016, while they were holding a conspiracy meeting. Later, digital devices and documents were seized during searches conducted at the accused's residence. During their custodial interrogation, the accused reportedly said they had communicated with co-conspirators within and outside India over social media platforms like Facebook, Telegram, etc, to wage war against the government.

Sources added that they had created various Telegram groups like 'The Gate', 'Bab Al Noor', 'Play Ground', etc., to propagate ISIS ideology through social media and recruit members for anti-national activities.

The probe also established that the accused had intentionally conspired and conducted preparations to attack foreigners, especially Jews, visiting Vattakkanal near Kodaikanal, prominent political leaders at Kozhikode in Kerala and a programme of Jamaat-e-Islami at Kochi.

With PTI inputs

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