Maharashtra: Special Court Grants ATS 30-Day Extension To File Charge-Sheet Against 5 PFI Members

The investigating agency had asked for a 90-day delay in filing the charge sheet, citing the ongoing probe. The court, on the other hand, gave the agency 30 days extension to file the charge sheet.

NIA Raids PFI Over Terror Funding (Image Used For Representational Purpose/File Photo) ( Image Source :PTI )

A Mumbai special court on Saturday granted a 30-day extension to the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) to file a charge sheet in connection with the arrest of five members of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI) for alleged unlawful activities and waging war against the country, news agency PTI reported.

Special court in Mumbai grants 30-day extension to Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) to file charge sheet in connection with arrest of five members of now-banned PFI for alleged unlawful activities and waging war against country

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 17, 2022

The five were among 20 people detained by the ATS across the state in September as part of a statewide multi-agency raid led by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The investigating agency had applied to the special court for a 90-day extension to file the charge sheet, stating that the investigation was still ongoing.

Judge AM Patil, on the other hand, granted the investigation agency 30 days to file the charge sheet.

Over 100 members of the radical Islamic outfit PFI and its associate groups were arrested in September in raids spanning numerous states for allegedly engaging in illegal actions, including waging war against the government.

As a result, the PFI was prohibited by the Central Government.

During the recently conducted Datta Jayanti in Karnataka, iron nails were placed on the road leading to Datta Peetha in order to cause problems for Hindu pilgrims. The festival took place between December 6 and December 8, Times Now reported on Saturday. 

Chikkamagaluru police detained two Muslim youngsters, Mohammed Shahbaz and Wahid Hussain, in connection with the murder. The nail-placing incident in Chikkamagaluru has been linked to PFI, according to the report. 

The Popular Front of India is an Islamic political organisation in India that practices extremist and exclusivist Muslim minority politics. It was formed to challenge Hindutva groups and was banned for five years by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs under the Unlawful Activities Act on September 28, 2022.

(With Inputs From Agencies)