Kerala Police raid offices of radical Muslim group

KOZHIKODE - Kerala Police Tuesday launched raids at the offices of Popular Front, a radical Muslim organisation, whose members are allegedly behind the attack on a teacher whose palm was chopped off and were also stockpiling crude arms and explosives.

Raids have now been conducted at the state committee office of Popular Front in Kozhikode besides offices at other districts like Kasargode and Wayanad. A large number of documents were seized from the group’s office in Kozhikode and police are examining them.

The police action comes days after the opposition pulled up the ruling Left Front government for not taking stern action against subversive activities in the state.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Monday asked the government to call an all-party meeting to discuss the recent terror-related incidents that have shaken the state.

In the last 10 days, a cache of explosives and crude arms were from the compound of a building owned by a mosque in Kannur Monday, the local Nilambur-Shornur train was sabotaged, some explosives were found on the Vanchinad Express, and the professor, who faces charges for including a blasphemous question in a question paper, was attacked.

Police had arrested five alleged Popular Front activists for the attack on the professor and another two dozen are in custody over the seizure at Kannur.

In a related development, a division bench of the Kerala High Court Tuesday asked the central and state governments to respond on a petition filed by a Kochi resident asking for a ban on the Popular Front.