New Delhi, March 4, 2025, The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested MK Faizy, the national president of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), in connection with an ongoing money laundering investigation. Faizy, who heads the political wing of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI), was detained at Delhi airport on Monday night under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), according to officials familiar with the matter.
His arrest follows an ED raid on his residence in Kerala on February 28, part of a broader crackdown on financial activities linked to the banned outfit.
PFI Ban and the Government’s Crackdown
The PFI and eight of its affiliate organizations were banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on September 28, 2022. The Ministry of Home Affairs cited the group's alleged role in fueling radicalization and financing extremist activities as grounds for the ban. A coordinated effort by the ED and the National Investigation Agency (NIA led to multiple arrests and the seizure of documents purportedly linking the organization to illicit financial networks.
Since 2021, the ED has arrested 26 PFI members, including senior office bearers, and filed nine charge sheets detailing their alleged involvement in financial crimes.
SDPI Under Scrutiny
Though SDPI was not included in the PFI ban, its activities have remained under close scrutiny by law enforcement agencies. The party’s offices in multiple cities were raided during the 2022 crackdown, and its members have been implicated in past criminal cases. In 2023, the NIA arrested SDPI member Ghouse Nayazi in connection with the 2016 murder of RSS leader R. Rudresh. Additionally, SDPI leaders were linked to the 2010 attack on professor T.J. Joseph, in which his hand was severed by extremists.
Allegations of International Fundraising and Terror Links
In an October 2024 statement, the ED claimed that the PFI had established a network of approximately 13,000 active members across Singapore and Gulf nations, including Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. These operatives were allegedly tasked with fundraising, with funds being funneled into India through complex banking routes and illegal hawala channels.
Investigations have also revealed that the PFI used unconventional protest tactics designed to destabilize the country. According to the ED, these included “non-violent air raids,” guerrilla theater, and alternative communication systems, all aimed at fostering unrest. The agency further alleged that PFI members engaged in intimidation tactics such as “mock funerals,” public taunting of officials, and “Lysistratic non-action” (a reference to withholding sexual relations as a form of protest).
Threats to National Sovereignty
Beyond protest tactics, ED reports suggest that PFI operatives employed strategies to undermine national unity, including advocating civil disobedience, promoting dual sovereignty, and attempting to establish parallel governance structures. The agency further alleged that the group engaged in the unauthorized disclosure of intelligence operatives' identities, posing a direct threat to national security.
With Faizy’s arrest, authorities are expected to intensify their probe into SDPI’s financial and operational links with PFI. The development marks a significant escalation in the government's ongoing crackdown on organizations accused of fostering extremism and financial crimes in India.
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