ED Arrests SDPI Leader Faizy Amidst PMLA Allegations

The Enforcement Directorate has apprehended SDPI national president M K Faizy under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The SDPI faces allegations of being the political arm of the defunct PFI. Despite the arrest and allegations, SDPI refutes any links, maintaining its independence.

The Enforcement Directorate has taken into custody the national president of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), M K Faizy. The arrest, under the anti-money laundering law, occurred late on Monday as Faizy was intercepted at the Delhi international airport. Official sources confirmed the development on Tuesday.

The SDPI, founded in 2009, is suspected of being a front for the now-prohibited Popular Front of India (PFI). The government had declared PFI an 'unlawful association' in September 2022, leading to extensive enforcement actions and raids by agencies including the ED and NIA.

Despite the allegations, the SDPI dismisses any associations with the PFI, asserting its autonomy. Investigators link Faizy to receiving funds from a PFI-affiliated leader in Kerala. Faizy's political influence is noted in various regions of southern India. The investigation into these connections continues.

(With inputs from agencies.)