Bengaluru: In yet another crackdown on the PFI and SDPI, the Karnataka Police on Tuesday arrested more than 40 people on charges of hatching a conspiracy to create unrest in the state.
This comes days after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out raids at the residences of houses of Popular Front of India (PFI) members.
“Over 40 people have been arrested in different parts of the state. In Kolar district, six people have been arrested and another two from Chamarajanagar. In Dakshin Kannada district, 11 PFI and SDPI members have been arrested and another 20 PFI members were detained in Shivamogga,” Additional Director General of Police Alok Kumar told reporters here.
Nine persons have been arrested from Bagalkot and Raichur districts, Kumar said.
“Seven PFI and SDPI members were arrested in Bagalkot district and sent to judicial custody till October 3. Two more PFI leaders were detained in Raichur, and one of them has been remanded to judicial custody,” he said.
The second round of raids were conducted based on leads received by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), police and other agencies during the interrogation of people arrested in the first round.
In Vijayapura, the police arrested PFI district President Ashfaq Jamkhandi, Kumar said.
PFI leader Afhan Ali was arrested in Chitradurga while four others were arrested in Bellary district.
District PFI President Abdul Kareem and SDPI Secretary Shaikh Maqsood were taken into preventive custody to avoid any untoward incident and protest.
PFI members staged protests in several parts of the state against the arrest of their members.
