An Army jawan, who works in the Electronics and Mechanical (EME) cadre of the armed force in Rajasthan, was attacked by unknown assailants on Sunday night in the Kollam region of Kerala.
Those, who attacked the Jawan, allegedly belong to the banned terror outfit Popular Front of India (PFI). The assailants tied the victim jawan’s hands together with tape and beat him. Visuals shared online also showed the letters ‘PFI’ painted on his back in green colour.
A case has since been registered by the Kadakkal Police and an investigation is underway, according to a report by a news agency, which quoting officials said, Army Jawan Halveel Shine was forcibly taken by six people from his house and attacked him in an adjacent rubber forest in Kadakkal.
Shine is reported to have said that he would go to Pangod military station and lodge a complaint.
Meanwhile, Hindu activist and founder of Hindu Seva Kendra, Pratheesh Viswanath, has condemned the attack. In an ‘X” post Viswanath said, “The news about the brutal attack on an Indian Army soldier by PFI terrorists in Kerala is shocking!! They even dared to paint PFI on his back as a symbol of terror..!! Even an army jawan is not safe in communist Kerala. The matter should be investigated at priority and the guilty should be prosecuted.”
Netizens have outraged over the matter calling out the Pinarayi Vijayan-led CPI government in Kerala for growing lawlessness and giving a free hand to terrorists
Meanwhile the Enforcement Directorate conducted raids at several locations linked to former members of the banned Islamist outfit PFI in Kerala on Monday.
Searches were launched at various places in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram and Wayanad districts to ascertain the alleged source of funding for the banned outfit. The central government had declared the PFI an ‘unlawful association’ under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in September last year and imposed a ban on it for five years.
Reports quoting sources, however, indicated that the leaders and activists of the outfit have been actively inducting new members to form a youth front in association with the SDPI. The latter is also believed to have dropped broad hints about the formation of a new outfit comprising youths.
The NIA had raided the house of several PFI operatives in Malappuram in August. The searches came after the NIA attached the Green Valley Academy in Manjeri – one of the PFI’s largest and oldest arms and physical training centres. As per the NIA this was the sixth arms training centre of the PFI to be attached in the state as ‘proceeds of terrorism’ under provisions of the UAPA.
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