Guwahati: Delhi High Court Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma was appointed on Thursday to preside over the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal hearing the case of the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates.
The Central Government appointed the Presiding Officer to examine the prohibition following a five-year ban on PFI and its alliances due to the seizure of incriminating papers during search operations at the organization’s offices and the homes of its office bearers.
The Ministry of Law and Justice notification stated, “Chief Justice of Delhi High Court has nominated Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, Judge to be appointed as the Presiding Officer of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal in the matter of Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates or fronts including Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIC) National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Junior Front Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause for declaring these organizations as an Unlawful association.”
Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) declared, “the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect.”
The ban was also imposed on its fronts including Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala as an ‘unlawful association.’
A day after being outlawed by the Centre for “terror linkages” under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the Popular Front of India (PFI) had its official Twitter account blocked in India.
More than 100 PFI members were detained throughout India in a notable statewide raid.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) made the statement. “The PFI has been successfully and methodically soliciting and collecting substantial amounts of money from abroad. PFI was using illegal and covert means to raise money abroad and send it to India.