Pune: NIA attaches 2 floors of school building used by PFI as training centre

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday attached two floors of a school building in Pune, where the Popular Front of India (PFI) had been allegedly 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, agency officials claimed on Monday.

Building used by PFI to plan and prepare for terrorist activities, says NIA

According to the NIA, the 4th and 5th floors of the Blue Bell School Building 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. "PFI was recruiting innocent Muslim youth into the outfit at these premises, and also providing them with armed and unarmed training to eliminate/attack those opposed to the establishment of Islamic Rule in the country by 2047," the agency claimed.

NIA attaches two 4th, 5th floors as ‘proceeds of terrorism’

The two floors have been attached by NIA as ‘proceeds of terrorism’ under the provisions of UAPA Act, in a case registered by the agency on 13th April 2022. The NIA had filed a charge-sheet on 18th March 2023, before the NIA Special Court, Delhi, against 20 accused, including the PFI, as an organisation.

 "The NIA had conducted a search of the two floors of the school premises on September 22 last year. The agency had seized incriminating documents, which revealed that the said 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," the NIA official claimed.

Newly recruited PFI cadres were trained to dangerous weapons

The newly recruited PFI cadres were trained in the use of dangerous weapons, like knife, sickle etc., for attacking and murdering prominent leaders opposed to the outfit’s ideology of establishing an Islamic Rule in India.

The NIA investigations had earlier revealed that the accused persons were part of the criminal conspiracy to establish 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. The NIA has been investigating the activities of the PFI, which was declared as an ‘unlawful association’ in September 2022.