ED raids locations in Kerala, Bengaluru, and other cities across India in SDPI probe

Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has raided 12 locations across India in connection with its ongoing investigation into the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). The locations under inspection include the SDPI's state committee office in Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram, and its national headquarters in New Delhi. Other locations being raided include Malappuram, Bengaluru, Nandyal, Thane, Chennai, Pakur, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Jaipur, spanning states such as Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh.

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These raids come after the arrest of SDPI National President M.K. Faizy. ED officials reportedly arrived in taxi cars for the operation, without informing local police, fueling further speculation about the raid’s high level of secrecy.

The searches take place amid growing specualations that the SDPI may face a ban, following the recent government ban on its alleged affiliate, the Popular Front of India (PFI). According to an ED report submitted to the court, the SDPI is said to have been formed by the PFI to further its radical agenda, including jihad. The report alleges that the PFI controlled all aspects of the SDPI, including its policy decisions, candidate selection for elections, and financial operations.

The ED has accused the SDPI of receiving illegal funds from Gulf countries to fund terrorist activities and attacks in India, with the knowledge of M.K. Faizy. The funds were allegedly raised under the guise of Ramadan collections. The ED claims that the SDPI was authorized by the PFI to collect these funds for electoral purposes and that the PFI directly funded the party with Rs 3.75 crore until the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Evidence for these claims was reportedly found in documents seized from the PFI's Kerala headquarters in Kozhikode. The ED claims the funds were transferred directly, not via banks, to conceal the money laundering activities.

So far, the ED has discovered assets worth Rs 61.72 crore linked to the PFI-related investigation. The agency also accuses Faizy of being involved in money laundering and illegal financial transactions. This comes after the government banned the PFI, accusing it of attempting to instigate anti-national activities and establishing Islamic rule in India.

The SDPI leadership has dismissed the ED's allegations, claiming that these actions are a form of retaliation for the party's opposition to the controversial Waqf Bill. With assembly elections looming in Kerala and other states, the Indian government is intensifying its scrutiny of the SDPI, a party that holds significant influence in several constituencies. Speculation is growing that the SDPI could soon face a ban, following the path of the now-banned PFI.

Also Read: ED arrests SDPI chief MK Faizy over alleged PFI links, money laundering; What we know so far