ATS chargesheets 5 for ‘links’ to PFI

Mazhar Mansoor Khan, Shaikh Sadik Isak Qureshi, Mohammed Iqbal Mohammed Ibrahim Khan, Momin Mohiuddin Gulam Hasan and Aasif Aminul Hussain Khan have been charged under sections 121 (A) (waging a war or attempting or abetting waging of war against the government of India), 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 153 (A) (promoting enmity and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 13 (1) (b) (advocates, abets, advises or incites the commission of, any unlawful activity) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The ATS said the chargesheet consists of statements of over 250 witnesses.

“Statements of around 30 witnesses are vital for our investigations, which shows that they were involved in unlawful activities. Other statements include versions of policemen, those assisting the investigators and people present during seizures,” said a senior officer.

The ATS has also attached forensic reports, call data records and reports from experts sought during investigation. Further, a book named ‘India 2047’, which was seized from Mazhar’s house in Vikhroli, has been made a part of the chargesheet. The ATS had maintained that the PFI was working towards transforming the country by 2047 and as mentioned in the book, wanted India to be governed by Islamic laws. However, Mazhar’s family had refuted the claims by saying that the book is about a survey report and caters to the economically backward areas.

The agency had also claimed that the alleged PFI members were indulging in unlawful activities to promote enmity among communities and conspiring to wage a war against the state.

The ATS had conducted raids at 12 locations across the state and arrested over 20 people for their alleged connections with PFI. Subsequently, four FIRs were registered in Mumbai, Nashik, Aurangabad and Nanded. A senior officer said, “We have submitted a chargesheet in the Mumbai case. We will soon file a chargesheet in the case registered in Nashik in which seven PFI members were arrested.”