Several prominent Muslim leaders, including former Popular Front of India (PFI) chief E Abubacker and veteran journalist Professor P Koya, marked two years in jail on September 22, following their arrest in a nationwide crackdown on PFI by National Investigation Agency (NIA). The leaders, along with 40 others linked to the now-banned organization, were detained under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on September 22, 2022.
Just six days after the arrests, on September 28, 2022, the government officially banned the PFI and its associated organizations, labeling them as “unlawful associations” for five years. This ban encompassed groups such as the Campus Front of India, Rehab India Foundation, and the National Confederation of Human Rights Organisations, among others.
The NIA’s charges against the detained individuals included serious accusations under the Indian Penal Code and various sections of UAPA. Authorities claimed to have uncovered a conspiracy aimed at inciting communal divisions and ultimately “overthrowing the current secular government in favor of an Islamic Caliphate governed by Sharia law”. The agency also alleged that recruits were being indoctrinated and trained for armed conflict.
While some local leaders secured bail, the majority of those arrested, including several elderly individuals, remain incarcerated without any convictions. Human rights organizations and various Muslim groups have denounced the government’s actions as unconstitutional, calling for the immediate release of the detained leaders.
