The Delhi Police on Thursday arrested the president of Popular Front of India (PFI) and the organisation’s secretary for allegedly funding the Delhi riots and for conspiracy. Mohammad Iliyas and Parvez Ahmed were arrested by the special cell of Delhi Police, an official said.
Ahmed is the Delhi president of PFI, while Iliyas is secretary of the organisation.
The action came a day after Home Minister Amit Shah said in Parliament that two people have been identified for funding the riots in Northeast Delhi. More than 50 people were killed and over 200 injured in last month’s violence.
Iliyas is a resident of Shiv Vihar, also contested in the 2020 Delhi Assembly polls from Karawal Nagar on a ticket from Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).
Besides the Special Cell, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also probing the alleged funding of the anti-CAA protest across the country by the PFI. The ED has registered a case against PFI and suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, arrested after an FIR was registered against him for the murder of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Hussain’s alleged links with the PFI are also being investigated.
Another PFI member Mohd Danish was earlier arrested in connection with Delhi violence. According to news agency ANI, Danish has told the police that PFI was “deeply involved” in protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA.
Danish has been working with PFI since 2018 and is the general secretary of Trilokpuri area in Delhi.
The Crime Branch of Delhi Police had on Monday arrested Tahir Hussain’s brother Shah Alam. Three other people who had given shelter to Shah Alam have also been arrested. Hussain was sent to seven-day police custody on March 6 in connection with the case. A Delhi court had earlier rejected the anticipatory bail plea of the suspended AAP leader.
In January, the ED said that it identified several bank accounts used for funding over Rs 120 crore for anti-CAA protest across the country.
