Weapons were seized from Popular Front of India (PFI) establishments on Tuesday as the Kerala Police continued its raids on the organisation in the wake of various incidents of violence reported during last Friday's statewide hartal.

Inspections were conducted at Mananthavady and Vellamunda in Wayanad district and Ambalapuzha, Punnapra and Purakkad in Alappuzha district.

At Mananthavady, the police reportedly found four billhooks inside a tyre shop run by PFI area committee president, Saleem, who is absconding.

Mananthavady had witnessed several incidents of violence during the hartal that was organised in protest of last week's nationwide crackdown on PFI by the National Investigation Agency alleging terror links.

At least 85 persons were arrested from Mananthavady in connection with the hartal-related violence.

From Alappuzha, bank documents were seized from the houses of Suneer, Purakkad panchayat committee secretary and Najeeb, member of Ambalappuzha North panchayat. The duo was arrested for pelting stones at buses during the hartal.

At Mala in Thrissur, two houses were raided. Similarly, inspections were done at the establishments of PFI leaders in Palakkad.

More than 1,200 PFI activists were taken into custody from various places in Kerala following the hartal.

 

'PFI is a law-abiding organisation'
In response to the nationwide crackdown by NIA and other agencies, the PFI released a statement on Tuesday.

It claim to be 'a law-abiding organisation'. "It imparts a culture of respect for rule of law in the country. It has been cooperating with all the investigating agencies as and when fictitious allegations emerged," the PFI statement published on its official Facebook page read.

"It has been the Popular Front of India that made the otherwise gloomy and confined-to-the-government-ritual-celebration of the Independence Day a popular event by conducting volunteer march holding the national flag," said the PFI in its statement.