New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has found that the recent protests in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) had an alleged “financial link” with the Kerala-based Popular Front of India (PFI). However, PFI on Monday termed the allegations as “baseless”.
According to sources in the ED, which is investigating the PFI under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) since 2018, the agency has found that at least Rs 1.04 crore were allegedly deposited in several bank accounts linked to the organisation between December 4 last year and January 6 this year in various parts of the country.
“This was the time when Parliament passed the law to grant citizenship to non-Muslims who were persecuted on religious grounds in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan,” sources said, adding a total amount of Rs 120 crore, credited to bank accounts linked to the PFI, are under the ED's scanner.
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) FIR and chargesheet against the PFI formed the basis for the ED to file the PMLA case against the organisation.
The PFI was formed in 2006 in Kerala.
Sources claimed that these dubious deposits were either made in cash or through the immediate payment service (IMPS).
“The Popular Front of India has stated it multiple times that we fully comply with the law of the land and the allegation of Rs 120 crore transferred from the Popular Front's accounts just before the CAA protests is totally baseless and the people who are levelling these allegations should prove these claims,” the organisation said in a statement.
