The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at a dozen locations on Thursday as part of an ongoing money laundering probe into the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). These searches come just days after the ED arrested SDPI’s national president, M K Faizy. The raids targeted multiple states, including Delhi—where the SDPI headquarters is located—along with Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
The federal agency has alleged that the PFI and SDPI share an “organic” relationship, claiming that the banned outfit carried out criminal activities through its political arm. The PFI was outlawed by the central government in September 2022 on charges of being an unlawful association involved in terrorist activities. The government justified the ban by citing security concerns and the organization’s alleged role in extremist operations across the country.
SDPI, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Delhi, is registered as a political party with the Election Commission of India. Authorities have long suspected it of functioning as the political front for the now-banned PFI. The recent raids are part of a broader investigation to trace financial irregularities and potential links between the two organizations.
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