In a sweeping operation targeting the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at multiple locations in Mumbai, including the Vikhroli residence of prisoners’ rights activist Abdul Wahid Shaikh.
Abdul Wahid Shaikh had previously been acquitted in the 7/11 Mumbai serial train blasts case after enduring several years of incarceration. Despite his acquittal, Shaikh has persistently claimed harassment by law enforcement agencies.
Tensions flared outside Shaikh’s residence when he refused to open the door for officials arriving around 5:30 am. Sharing a CCTV image, he requested that individuals identifying themselves as police return later in the day.
Subsequently, he released a video statement, saying, “Some individuals claiming to be police personnel arrived at my residence at 5 am. They neither identified themselves nor provided any notice. They forcibly entered my premises, damaging my camera. I have not opened the door for the past three hours. My wife and children are unwell, and we are trapped in our house.”
Shaikh further added, “I have lodged a complaint with the local police and the Mumbai police commissioner, and I have also informed the media.” Outside his residence, a substantial police presence was observed, with officers urging him to open the door.
The NIA clarified that their search encompassed multiple locations across various states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi-NCR, as part of their efforts to dismantle a PFI module. Apart from Abdul Wahid Shaikh’s residence, the NIA team executed searches in Bhiwandi, Mumbra, and several other districts in Maharashtra.
The NIA’s objective is to investigate registered organizations and suspected operatives involved in re-establishing the PFI under a new name while engaging in dubious activities and fundraising operations.