ATS raids many locations in Lucknow, detains 3 suspected PFI members

Apart from Lucknow, ATS raided Meerut, Ghaziabad, Varanasi and Azamgarh.

Lucknow: In a major operation, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) on Sunday raided several hideouts of people associated with banned Popular Front of India (PFI) across Lucknow. Three persons were detained by the ATS, suspecting them to be PFI members, agency sources said.

During the raid, a youth working at a photocopy shop was detained from Vikas Nagar while two others were detained from Achramau village of BKT. The entire operation of the ATS was recorded by a CCTV camera installed in the photocopy shop.

The ATS has been conducting raids at Achramau village for several days. The two who were detained from Achramau village, have been identified as Mohammad Farhan and Zafar. However, the village head Arshad escaped during the raids. Currently, interrogation of the three detained suspects are underway by the ATS officials. Earlier, in January and December 2022, ATS had detained three other persons suspecting them to be PFI members.

According to officials, 30 ATS teams have been set up for the operation. A similar operation, which started yesterday and continued till today, was launched in other cities as well. Till now, a total of 50 people have been detained in this connection.

Apart from Lucknow, many persons were detained from Meerut, Ghaziabad, Varanasi and Azamgarh. ATS has not issued any official statement in regard to this operation. Last month, the National Investigation Agency had raided 17 locations across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab searching for people associated with the front. The PFI was banned last year for a period of five years.