Update: Kerala Police Take Army Jawan, Friend Into Custody For Faking “PFI” Attack.
An Army jawan in Kollam, Kerala, was attacked by unknown assailants on Sunday night. The attackers, believed to be from the banned Popular Front of India, tied his hands and marked ‘PFI’ on his back in green. The victim, Shine Kumar, reported that six individuals abducted him from his house and assaulted him in a nearby rubber forest in Kadakkal. The Kadakkal Police have registered a case, and an investigation is ongoing.
Shine Kumar had been previously stationed in Rajasthan with the Army’s electronics and mechanical cadre. The Indian Army stated on Monday that they are tracking the developments of the case with local police.
Police have taken one person into custody in Kadakkal, in connection with the complaint of army personnel alleging he was attacked by six persons and ‘PFI’ painted on his back.
In related events, the Enforcement Directorate conducted raids in various parts of Kerala connected to former members of the PFI. The government had previously declared PFI as an ‘unlawful association’ last September and imposed a five-year ban.
Reports suggest that PFI leaders are actively recruiting new members in collaboration with the SDPI. There are also indications of a new youth-centric outfit in the making. Last August, the NIA raided several PFI locations in Kerala, including attaching the Green Valley Academy in Manjeri, identified as one of PFI’s major training centers.
