ED investigating role of PFI, NGO for funding protest against Article 370

Widening its probe, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is examining the role of Kerala -based Popular Front of India (PFI) and Rehab India Foundation (RIF) for allegedly funding protests against the abrogation of Sections of Article 370.

Senior members of both organisations earlier were questioned in connection with their alleged link to Rs 120 crore used for the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) across the country. While the PFI is an Islamic outfit, RIF is a non-profit organisation.

However, the ED’s inquiry in the ongoing matter raised suspicion over their involvement in several protests over 70 days since the government removed Jammu & Kashmir's (J&K's) special status.    

Sources in the ED said the protests related to the J&K issue were stage-managed, especially in Delhi-NCR and some areas of Uttar Pradesh. Officials are trying to ascertain the quantum of funding that was mobilised allegedly to provoke protesters.

The probe agency is likely to summon more people connected with these two organisations to find out the source of the funds, and whether there was any support from anti-social elements. Early probe reveals that cash given to a protester was in the range of Rs 2,000-10,000 at the height of the stir against the J&K move.

On Wednesday, the PFI’s state president Mohammed Parvez Ahmed and RFI’s Shahid Abu Bakr appeared before the ED in  Delhi.

A team of Delhi and UP police is working with the central agency to identify the people who deposited and withdrew Rs 1.04 crore cash between December 4 and January 6 from about 15 bank accounts of the PFI and RFI. There were as many as 80-90 withdrawals from a few bank accounts in a day, the sources said.