Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is carrying out raids at multiple locations in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district on Wednesday in connection with a conspiracy to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year.
Banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) had allegedly plotted to assassinate Modi during his visit to Patna in July 2022.
NIA have thus far detained four suspects – identified as Mohammed Haris Kumbra, Sajjad Hussain Kodimbadi, Faizal Ahmed Tarigudde and Samshuddin Kurnadka — from Puttur, Kurnadka, Taripadpu, and Kumbra villages.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), in its remand note against PFI member Shafeeque Payeth, had mentioned that the PFI conspired to target the Prime Minister during his visit to Patna on July 12, 2022. ED also claimed that the PFI was preparing terror modules and other attacks.
NIA officials are conducting document verification at 16 places with the help of local police, India Today reported quoting officials of the central agency.
Among the sites being searched are houses, offices and hospitals linked to PFI activists in Mangaluru, Puttur, Beltangady, Uppinangady, Venur and Bantwal.
The aim of the raids is to crack down on south India’s PFI hawala money network.
PFI allegedly received huge sums of money from Gulf countries to carry out terror activities in India.
Five people were arrested from Patna for anti-national activities after raids in Phulwari Sharif area last year. Incriminating documents, including PFI’s ‘Mission 2047’ — which allegedly had Modi on its radar – were recovered from the raids.