The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested MK Faizy, National President of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), in connection with a money laundering case linked to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). Faizy was apprehended in Bengaluru and later transferred to the ED office in Delhi for interrogation.
It is reported that the arrest follows an ongoing investigation into financial transactions suspected of violating anti-money laundering laws. Officials stated that the move is part of a broader effort to dismantle financial networks linked to extremist activities.
Faizy, a native of Kanthapuram in Kozhikode, Kerala, was detained late Monday (3 March 2025) night at Delhi’s international airport under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). His arrest comes days after an ED raid at his Kerala residence on 28 February 2025 as part of its probe into financial crimes related to PFI.
The Union government banned the PFI and its affiliated organizations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on 28 September 2022, citing alleged involvement in radicalization and terror financing. Prior to the ban, multiple enforcement actions were carried out by the ED, National Investigation Agency (NIA), and state police forces, leading to arrests and the seizure of incriminating documents.
The ED has previously identified SDPI as the “political front” of PFI, a claim the SDPI denies. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Delhi, the SDPI describes itself as an independent political outfit. Faizy, who has been the party’s national president since 2018, is also known as an Islamic scholar and political observer.
Investigative agencies have alleged that Faizy had financial ties with a Kerala-based PFI leader, Abdul Razak BP, who reportedly transferred ₹2 lakh to him as part of fundraising activities. Authorities are now probing whether this transaction was linked to PFI’s financial operations.
The interrogation of Faizy is expected to shed further light on the extent of financial dealings involving the banned outfit and its alleged political affiliations.
(With inputs from The New Indian Express)
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