Tamil Nadu: Heavy security deployed in PFI strongholds

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu police have deployed a heavy contingent in all the areas where the radical Muslim outfit, Popular Front of India (PFI) is strong.

In a nationwide crackdown against the PFI on Thursday, around 106 senior office-bearers of the organisation were arrested.

The arrested included PFI national Chairman, O.M.A. Salam, Vice Chairman, E. Abdurahman, National secretary Nasseruddin Elamaram, ideologue and national leader, Prof P. Koya, and some other senior functionaries from Kerala. The top leader arrested from Tamil Nadu was A.M. Ismail, the national executive member of PFI from Coimbatore.

A.M.Ismail was arrested from Coimbatore, Yassar Arafat, the Dindigul Zonal Secretary of PFI from Dindigul, and Cuddalore district secretary, Fayas Ahmad from Cuddalore. Eight other leaders were arrested from various parts of the state.

The arrest of A.M. Ismail who is a top leader of the organisation has led to commotion with the SDPI and PFI cadres blocking the way of the NIA and CRPF officers who were involved in the operation.

The PFI leaders and cadres were arrested as the Central agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing, and other agencies monitoring the activities of the organisation for the past several months, and a meticulous plan was envisaged before the swoop down on Thursday.

Police said that some minor incidents of stone-throwing were reported from some parts of the state where the PFI is having strength. In Tamil Nadu, heavy police are deployed at Chennai, Dindigul, Coimbatore, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Madurai, Salem, and Erode.

Meanwhile, sources in the NIA told IANS that the possibilities of further raids cannot be ruled out as it has received more information on the activities of the organisation.

Terror funding and terror training are the main charges that were leveled against the PFI leaders. It is also learned that the PFI leaders were apprehended to prevent ablood bath in society.

A senior officer with the Tamil Nadu police told IANS that the central agencies, including NIA and ED, had communicated on the impending raids with the higher-ups of the state police in late Wednesday and in the early morning of Thursday the raids were affected.

A CRPF contingent from Ranchi was deployed and in each place of raid, four NIA and ED officers were present with a CRPF contingent of 50 officers guarding the raid.