In a stunning revelation, the Enforcement Directorate has claimed that the Islamic radicals of Popular Front of India(PFI) are behind the funding of the violent anti-CAA protests across several parts of the country that ensued following the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act by both the houses of the parliament in December 2019.
The explosive investigation reports claim that the PFI spent about 120 crores in a month to orchestrate the violent riots in the country, naming eminent lawyers Kapil Sibal, Indira Jaising and Dushyant Dave also as the beneficiaries of PFI’s funding.
It’s clear now Anti CAA protests are being funded by PFI. There is a clear link between the bank transfers and anti CAA protests, their timing and location. Also read the names of the liberal leaders who are getting funds from PFI. pic.twitter.com/7zmePibMwA
— Sudhir Chaudhary (@sudhirchaudhary) January 27, 2020
According to the probe agency sources cited by Zee News, following the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act, PFI started mysteriously receiving monetary funds. It further added that it seemed like the depositors were expressly instructed to make donations less than Rs 50,000 at a time. The modes of transactions were mainly cash, RTGS/NEFT. Overall, 120 crores were credited to a total of 73 accounts held by PFI, its related entity namely Rehab India foundation and several individuals associated with the PFI. Rs 120 crore was routed through 73 different bank accounts to avoid scrutiny.
Among these, as per reports, 27 bank accounts were opened in the name of Popular Front of India. 9 bank accounts belong to Rehab India Foundation, an organization associated with PFI and the same organization has opened 37 bank accounts in the name of 17 different people and organization.
The report stated that the money was withdrawn on or a day before the anti-CAA protests, thereby proving beyond doubt PFI’s role in sponsoring the anti-CAA riots. As per bank transactions records accessed by the ED, the transaction dates in the bank accounts held by PFI matches with the dates of violence which points towards the direct correlation between the violent protests and the PFI.
It’s out – ‘Islamist radicals funded violence.’ Rs 120 crore, 73 syndicate bank accounts REVEALED. @Dir_ED draws sensational link to Lobby. @KapilSibal, @IJaising, PFI named by ED. Sabotage-‘syndicate’ behind CAA stir. | Rahul Shivshankar with details. pic.twitter.com/8dmxDKhSyn
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) January 27, 2020
The report also names prominent individuals to whom PFI had made payments. Congress politician and Supreme Court lawyer Kapil Sibal allegedly received Rs 77 lakhs while Supreme Court lawyer Indira Jaising received Rs 4 lakhs from one of the PFI accounts based out of Kozhikode, Kerala. Abdul Samand has allegedly received Rs 3.10 lakhs.
The suspicious payment of Rs 1.17 crores made by PFI to New Jyothi Group is also under the scanner of the probe agency as investigations are underway to determine the nature and reason for the transaction between two organisations working in two different areas.
Speaking to Times Now, lawyer Dushyant Dave has claimed that he had received money from PFI 2 years ago and it is not linked with anti-CAA protests. The ED has already submitted its report to the MHA.
Kapil Sibal has reportedly clarified to Times now that he had received money from PFI only during 2017-18 for the Hadiya Love Jihad case for his ‘professional services’.
In another shocking revelation shared by Zee News, it has been found that 9 offices of PFI and related organisations have also been opened in the Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area to fund the ongoing protest against the CAA.
#ShaheenBaghProtest decoded. It’s a clear alliance of #TukdeTukdeGang and contractors of #ShaheenBagh . Read the foot prints in this document. pic.twitter.com/w6kr5yT4iF
— Sudhir Chaudhary (@sudhirchaudhary) January 27, 2020
Several parts of Uttar Pradesh witnessed widespread violence under the pretext of ‘peaceful demonstrations’ against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Earlier, three people associated with the radical Islamic organisation PFI, including UP state head Waseem, were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police for orchestrating violence by spreading misinformation through social media platforms.
UP police had also stated that the violence in AMU on December 15 was largely instigated by WhatsApp messages and Twitter posts stating that some Jamia Millia Islamia students were killed in police firing on December 15 in Delhi.
UP police chief OP Singh had stated that members of radical Islamic organisations – Popular Front of India (PFI) and its political front, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), including political parties like Samajwadi Party were involved in instigating Muslim mobs to indulge in violence across the state during the anti-CAA protests. The UP police had advocated a ban on PFI after the widespread violence in the state.
