ED arrests SDPI National President MK Faizy in money laundering probe
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested MK Faizy, national president of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), in connection with a money laundering investigation. Officials confirmed that Faizy was taken into custody at Delhi airport on Monday night under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The arrest follows a raid conducted by ED at Faizy’s residence in Kerala on February 28. The SDPI is the political wing of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI), which was outlawed by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on September 28, 2022. The government has accused the PFI of fueling radicalization and involvement in terror financing.
Since 2021, the ED has arrested 26 PFI members, including senior office bearers, and filed nine charge sheets. During the 2022 crackdown, multiple SDPI offices were also raided, and the party's activities have remained under scrutiny by central agencies.
In October 2024, the ED alleged that PFI had around 13,000 active members in Singapore and Gulf countries, including Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. These members were reportedly involved in raising funds, which were then transferred to India through illegal hawala channels. The agency further claimed that PFI engaged in various activities aimed at creating unrest, including civil disobedience and violent protests.
As part of its investigation, the ED has attached PFI assets worth over ₹56 crore.
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EC hands over probe into gherao of seven judicial officers in Bengal's Malda to NIA
Kolkata (PTI): The Election Commission of India on Thursday handed over the probe into the gherao of the seven judicial officers in West Bengal's Malda district to the NIA, following a Supreme Court directive.
Observing that West Bengal was the "most polarised state", the Supreme Court delivered a stinging indictment of the state administration after seven judicial officers engaged in SIR exercise were held hostage by protesters in Malda district and directed a CBI or NIA probe into the incident.
In an April 2 letter to the National Investigating Agency, the poll body referred to the apex court's order and directed it to probe the Wednesday incident.
Talking to PTI, a top official of the poll body said the NIA team would reach West Bengal on Friday.
Slamming the state administration for its "complete failure" and inaction over the "deplorable" gherao and attack on the officers during the Special Intensive Revision(SIR) of the voters list, the court also asked the EC to "requisition adequate Central Forces and deploy them at all places where judicial officers are adjudicating the objections".
West Bengal will have a two-phase poll -- on April 23 and 29.
The Supreme Court further said the incident was a "brazen attempt not only to browbeat the judicial officers" but also amounted to a challenge to the authority of this Supreme Court.
The top court gave the order after it took suo motu cognisance of a letter from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court detailing a harrowing night where the judicial officers, including three women and a five-year-old child, were held captive by a mob for over nine hours without food or water.
The incident occurred during the SIR exercise in the Kaliachowk area of Malda district, and as per the order, seven judicial officers were gheraoed by "anti-social elements" at a BDO office starting at 3:30 PM on Wednesday.
The officers were rescued by security forces around midnight on Wednesday after they were gheraoed over the alleged deletion of names from the electoral rolls, officials said.
