The NIA on Wednesday arrested a key member of the banned Popular Front of India after he arrived at Cochin International Airport from the United Arab Emirates in a case of alleged radicalization and “violent jihad”, ending his three-year run with the law, officials said.
The accused has been identified as Moideenkutty P, a resident of Kattipparuthi in Kerala’s Malappuram district.
Moideenkutty has been on the run for the past three years after a case was registered in September 2022 related to “creating a rift between people of different communities through radicalization of susceptible youth”, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in a statement after his arrest.
According to the agency, Moideenkutty was the physical education coordinator of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in Kerala and fled soon after the case was registered.
During the investigation, the NIA conducted searches at his residence and found “many incriminating documents”.
The agency said that as part of the plot, selected youths were trained to handle weapons and raise funds to carry out acts of terrorism and violence, with the alleged aim of “imposing Islamic rule in India by 2047”.
The NIA investigation revealed that the accused conspired to spread the concept of “violent jihad” in India with the aim of dividing the country.
The PFI allegedly set up various wings and units, including a “Reporter Wing”, “Physical and Weapons Training Wing” and “Service Teams” to support the plot.
It also found that the PFI used its campuses, facilities and infrastructure to provide weapons training to selected cadres under the guise of physical education, yoga training and similar activities, the agency said.
The NIA has so far charged 65 accused in the case.