Pune City Police said Tuesday that they have detained six persons linked to the Popular Front of India (PFI) “to gather information about the activities of the organisation”.
Police, however, said the questioning was not pertaining to the case registered earlier in connection with the protests held in the city last week to condemn the nationwide searches led by National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the arrest of its members by the central and state agencies under terrorism charges.
“We are questioning six persons linked to the PFI since morning to gather information about the activities of the organisation,” said a senior officer from Pune police, while adding that the interrogation was not connected to the case registered at Bundgarden police station over holding protests in Pune. “It pertains to the activities of the PFI,” the officer said.
A series of agitations by PFI members and supporters broke out in the country to condemn the massive nationwide searches on the premises linked to the outfit and the arrest of its members on September 22. The protest in Pune was held in front of the district collector’s office on September 23 afternoon.
A number of videos of PFI protests surfaced on social media platforms on September 24, accompanied by claims that pro-Pakistan slogans ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ were chanted during the agitation. Pune police have launched a probe into the allegations.
Police initially registered an offence against the protesters who were charged with unlawful assembly and wrongful restraint for blocking the road.
The officials later invoked various sections of Indian Penal Code 153A (Promoting enmity between groups), 153B (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration), 120B (Criminal conspiracy) and 109 (Abetment).