Tension prevailed in different parts of Central Kerala on Thursday with activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI) staging a series of protests against an overnight crackdown by the Central agencies.
The raids, conducted jointly by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), began on Wednesday midnight and continued till around 6 a.m. on Thursday. The teams, assisted by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, searched the residences and offices of various PFI leaders amidst strong protests by the activists outside these locations.
Official sources said at least four persons, including a councillor of the Erattupetta municipality, were taken into custody from Kottayam, while the raids conducted at Idukki resulted in the detention of two Peruvanthanam natives.
In Pathanamthitta, searches were carried out at various locations, including the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) district committee office at Parakkodu and at residences of the party's district president and district general secretary in Pathanamthitta and Adoor. The district secretary of the SDPI was taken into custody.
During the raids, the sleuths also seized various documents from the party offices, besides the mobile phones and laptops used by those in custody. The detainees were taken to the NIA headquarters in Kochi and are slated to be produced before the NIA special court after interrogation.
Among the places where the searches were conducted include Erattupetta and Mundakkayam in Kottayam; Thodupuzha, Nedumkandam and Peruvanthanam in Idukki; and Pathanamthitta town and Adoor in Pathanamthitta district.
