ED questions PFI officials; probes links with politicians, others

The ED has questioned some Popular Front of India (PFI) officials in connection with a money laundering probe against it and an NGO linked to it, officials said on Thursday.

They said about half a dozen office bearers of the Kerala-based organisation were questioned about the finances, expenditure, various sources of funding and beneficiaries of the funds generated or distributed by it.

The central probe agency, sources said, also recorded their statements under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED is probing PFI and NGO Rehab India Foundation (RIF) under criminal provisions of the PMLA as part of an enforcement case information report (ECIR) or FIR filed in 2018.

It is also probing charges that the organisations received and distributed funds from their bank accounts that were allegedly used to fuel protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in various parts of the country.

The sources said the agency is investigating the exact nature of association of some PFI officials with politicians based in Delhi and other parts of the country.

PFI Delhi president Pervez Ahmed was asked by PTI if he had any links with AAP leader Sanjay Singh and Congress politician Udit Raj, as stated in media reports.

"Being a social movement, we meet many people as part of our public relations and we met (Sanjay Singh) for introducing our activities," he said.

Ahmed added that while he never met Raj, the two had once spoken as the Congress leader wanted the PFI general secretary to participate in an event in Delhi.

Singh, a Rajya Sabha member from the AAP, also tweeted on the development from his official handle.

He said there is "no official document or statement" from the ED that links him with the PFI and the reports in this context are an attempt to malign his name by the "BJP and Union Home Minister Amit Shah who are attacking from behind like cowards."