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Inside PFI's Terror Plot: Judges, Activists, RSS Leaders On 'Hit Lists', Reveals NIA

Inside PFI's Terror Plot: Judges, Activists, RSS Leaders On 'Hit Lists', Reveals NIA

News1825-06-2025
Last Updated:
The structure and functioning of PFI resemble that of terrorist organisations, incorporating surveillance-intelligence cells, armed squads, and global funding.
The Popular Front of India (PFI) has been implicated in an extensive conspiracy to target Hindu civil society leadership in India, revealed through the meticulous investigations of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). This operation is not arbitrary but represents an ideologically driven, military-style effort aimed at neutralising key figures within India's Hindu community, including judges, activists, and political workers, sources have told CNN-News18. The structure and functioning of PFI resemble that of terrorist organisations, incorporating surveillance-intelligence cells, armed squads, and global funding.
The NIA disclosed these findings in a court submission, indicating that PFI had compiled ' hit lists" targeting 977 individuals in Kerala alone. This information surfaced as the agency opposed the bail plea of two accused – Muhammad Bilal and Riyasudheen – in the Palakkad Sreenivasan murder case. Multiple hit lists were recovered, exposing the alarming scale of the conspiracy, as reported by several sources.
One notable list, recovered from Sirajudheen, a member of PFI's so-called 'Reporter Wing", contained the names of 240 people, including prominent figures across various sectors, posing a substantial threat to public safety. Furthermore, 232 names came from Muhammed Sadik, a PFI insider turned approver, and another 500 were uncovered during a house search of the absconding accused Ayoob TA. Additionally, five individuals, including a former Kerala district judge, were found listed in Abdul Wahab's wallet, another key accused in this conspiracy.
Sources indicate that these lists were prepared for selective assassinations aimed at destabilising communal harmony and polarising society. The targets primarily included members of the RSS, BJP, and other Hindu leaders, such as district-level organisers, temple trustees, and ideologues. The lists also included randomly selected Hindus, community elders, and public officials like district judges who resisted PFI-backed Dawah conversions or legal interference.
At least five RSS leaders in Kerala were granted Y-category security in 2022 after being named in these hit lists. According to the NIA, PFI maintained a three-tier terror framework: the 'Reporter Wing" that tracked targets, created dossiers, and monitored their movements and social profiles; the 'Service Wing" and 'Hit Squads" that recruited low-income radicalised youth trained in the use of knives, swords, and stealth tactics; and the 'Training Cells" located in Aluva (Periyar Valley Campus) and Narath (Kannur), which served as combat and indoctrination hubs.
The thorough investigations of the NIA connected these findings to other murders, including those of Sreenivasan in Palakkad (2022), Sanjith in Kerala (2021), Rudresh in Bengaluru (2016), Praveen Nettaru in Dakshina Kannada (2022), and V. Ramalingam in Tamil Nadu (2019). These killings were often methodical, involving machetes and carried out in daylight to invoke terror.
Both the Delhi High Court and the NIA have cited PFI's 'India Vision 2047" as evidence of a long-term plan to overthrow the Indian Constitution and replace it with Sharia law. Systematically targeting Hindu leadership is seen as crucial to this objective. CNN-News18 had earlier reported that the Enforcement Directorate traced over Rs 120 crores in funds, mostly from Gulf-based hawala networks, and propaganda videos glorifying ISIS, Hamas, and the Taliban have been recovered from PFI's training camps.
Additionally, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), PFI's political front, provided cover by infiltrating local panchayats and municipal bodies while aiding radical operations at the grassroots level. Intelligence records indicate that at least 21 PFI members joined ISIS, further highlighting the complex domestic-international hybrid threat posed by the organisation.
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Closures disrupt local economies, impacting 50,000 border residents, per The Nation. What Are The Implications For India & The Region? For India, with its $44 billion space economy and ASEAN trade ties, the Thailand-Cambodia clash is a cautionary tale. India's border disputes with China, costing $10 billion annually in military spending, per a 2024 NITI Aayog report, mirror the economic toll of such conflicts. The crisis threatens ASEAN unity, critical for India's $130 billion trade with the region, per MEA 2024. The clash also risks refugee flows, with 10,000 Cambodians displaced in 2011, per UNHCR, impacting India's regional security. The Thailand-Cambodia stand-off is not a mere border dispute. It is a flashpoint with the capacity to draw in wider regional interests. If unresolved, it risks destabilising ASEAN's unity and threatening India's broader ties in a region of growing geo-economic importance. The path ahead demands diplomacy, economic partnerships, and principled peace—lest this bruise on regional harmony turns into a deeper wound. About the Author Shilpy Bisht Shilpy Bisht, Deputy News Editor at News18, writes and edits national, world and business stories. She started off as a print journalist, and then transitioned to online, in her 12 years of experience. Her More Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : ASEAN countries Cambodia thailand view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 24, 2025, 13:13 IST News explainers Temple, Territory, Tensions: Why Thailand, Cambodia Are Trading Blows Again, Should India Worry? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. 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