MThe National Investigation Agency (NIA) has found that some officials in the Kerala Police have connections with leaders of the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI).

The NIA is learned to have handed over a report in this regard to the Kerala Police Chief Anil Kanth.

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The report is said to contain the names of 873 police officials found to have links with PFI. Personnel belonging to the Special Branch, Intelligence, Law and Order wings, and those tasked with the office duties of senior Kerala Police officers are among the individuals on the NIA list.

The police personnel having links with PFI belong to various ranks such as Sub-Inspector (SI), Station Head Officer (SHO), and civil police personnel. They are under the surveillance of central security agencies.

The Central agencies are also gathering information about officers’ financial transactions.

The main accusation leveled against these cops is that they leaked information, including state police actions, particularly those involving raids. According to the NIA report, low-ranking cops to high-ranking officials of the Kerala Police force have links with PFI. The details of the same have been handed over to the state police chief.

Earlier, NIA gathered details of these policemen, traced their calls, and found that they contacted PFI leaders before and after NIA conducted raids in Kerala. It is also found that they made several calls with leaders during the hartal announced by PFI on 24 September.

Earlier in February, a Civil Police Officer attached to Karimannoor police station in Thodupuzha was terminated from service for allegedly leaking details of RSS leaders to the PFI. On identical charges, three police officers, among them a SI, were transferred from the Munnar police station. A female police cop in Kottayam was suspended after sharing a Facebook post about PFI.

The NIA arrested over 100 PFI leaders and activists in simultaneous raids in 15 states in September as part of a campaign against the PFI on the grounds that they were allegedly involved in terrorist activities in the country. The Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliates, including the National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), Rehab India Foundation, and All India Imams Council, have been banned by the Central government for their suspected involvement in terrorism.