NIA court orders framing of charges against 26 PFI leaders for seeking to establish caliphate

A Delhi court has ordered that charges be framed against 26 accused members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), citing "grave suspicion" of a conspiracy to overthrow the Indian government and establish an Islamic caliphate by 2047. The order, issued by Special NIA Judge Prashant Sharma, invokes provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The court observed that the evidence suggests the accused, acting on behalf of the PFI and its National Executive Council (NEC), agreed to and acted upon a conspiracy to achieve this goal through armed struggle. The court noted that each accused's role appears to fit into different aspects of the alleged conspiracy, including direction from the NEC, execution at the state level, arms training, terror funding, recruitment, and organizational support to ISIS.

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The material on record raises grave suspicion that the accused, acting through and on behalf of the Popular Front of India and its National Executive Council (NEC), agreed and acted in furtherance of a single conspiracy, to overthrow the secular democratic government of India and to establish an Islamic Caliphate under Sharia law in India on or before 2047 through an armed struggle against the state.

Among the prominent figures facing charges are PFI chairman OMA Salam and vice-chairman EM Abdul Rahman. The court also directed that charges be framed against the PFI itself, recognizing it as a juristic person capable of committing offenses. The accused have been summoned to appear before the court on July 10 for the formal framing of charges.

Charges to be framed include criminal conspiracy, waging war against the government, and promoting enmity between religious groups. This judicial action follows a crackdown by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against the PFI, which was declared an unlawful association by the Indian government.

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Each accused’s role, on the material at face value, fits into one or more limbs of the conspiracy; direction at the NEC level; execution at the State level; arms training; terror funding... recruitment in the States and organisational support to ISIS.