The special NIA court in Kochi has revoked the attachment of six properties and a bank account that were earlier alleged to have links with the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). This comes two months after the court ordered the release of 10 other properties.
The properties belonged to Trivandrum Education Trust, Haritham Foundation in Poovanchira, Periyar Valley Charitable Trust in Aluva, Vallavunad Trust in Palakkad, Chandragiri Charitable Trust in Kasaragod, and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) in New Delhi.
These properties and accounts were attached after the National Investigation Agency registered a case against PFI over alleged anti-national activities and the murder of RSS leader Sreenivasan in Palakkad in 2022.
The NIA had claimed that PFI used some of these properties, including the Periyar Valley campus and Vallavunad House, to conduct arms training and provide shelter to its cadre. However, the court said there was no proof that the trustees were directly involved in such activities and decided to revoke the attachment.
Earlier in June, the court had released 10 other properties belonging to trusts and individuals in districts including Malappuram, Alappuzha, Kollam, Thrissur, Wayanad, Kozhikode, and Ernakulam.
Advocate P.C. Noushad, who represented the applicants, said: “So far, the court has revoked 17 attachments made in connection with the PFI case. The SDPI bank account was attached after NIA said money was transferred to an accused. But we showed the court that the accused worked as a driver and the money was his salary. The court accepted our explanation.”
The trustees and individuals whose properties were released have now approached the authorities to complete the process of taking them back.
Meanwhile, the NIA has filed charge sheets against 63 persons in the PFI case.
