ED attaches 68.62L from Popular Front's bank accounts

New Delhi: The Enforcement Department has attached more than 68.62 lakhs of bank deposits belonging to Popular Front of India (PFI) and related organisation Rehab India Foundation (RIF) as part of a money-laundering investigation against them, PTI reported.

On Wednesday, the Central probe agency issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), attaching 33 bank accounts of the two organisations.

Twenty-three bank accounts of the Popular Front of India (PFI), having a collective balance of Rs 59,12,051, and 10 bank accounts of PFI's front organisation Rehab India Foundation (RIF), having a collective balance of Rs 9,50,030 have been attached in the ongoing money laundering investigation against PFI and its related organisations, the Enforcement Directorate said in a statement.

These include 23 bank accounts, with a collective balance of Rs 59,12,051, of PFI and 10, with a collective balance of Rs 9,50,030, belonging to (RIF). The statement said, "A total amount of Rs 68,62,081 has, thus, been provisionally attached," it said.

However, PFI had released a short statement following the ED's move. It read, "As per media reports, it has come to our notice that ED has provisionally attached bank accounts of PFI. We are reviewing this report and will issue a statement tomorrow."

The probe agency was investigating PFI's alleged financial links funding the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in the country, the Delhi riots that took place in February 2020, alleged conspiracy in the Hathras (a district in Uttar Pradesh) case of alleged gangrape and death of a Dalit woman and a few other cases.

It has filed two charge sheets against PFI and its office bearers before a special PMLA court in Lucknow.

ED has filed two charge sheets against PFI and its office bearers before a special PMLA court in Lucknow. The agency said, "huge amounts of money including cash from questionable sources have been received by PFI and RFI. An amount of more than Rs 60 Crore has been deposited in the accounts of PFI, which includes cash deposits of more than Rs 30 crore since 2009. Similarly, around Rs 58 crores have been deposited in the accounts of RIF since 2010."

The agency alleged that PFI, in "active collusion" with other associated accused, indulged in the money laundering.

ED accuse PFI of money laundering. It claimed, "Proceeds of crime mobilised in the form of cash have been deposited in its (PFI) bank accounts by falsely projecting them as cash donations from sympathisers/members. Similarly, in order to obliterate the fund trail and circumvent the regulatory rigour, proceeds of crime were mobilised in the form of cash and deposited by PFI leaders in the bank accounts of various individuals and immediately thereafter, these funds were transferred from bank accounts to PFI's bank account,"

ED further claimed that PFI covertly raised funds through organised networks in Gulf countries as part of a criminal conspiracy. The funds were sent to India through illegal channels, the agency claimed.