Police raids home of Wahid Shaikh amid PFI case controversy

In the early hours of Wednesday, Abdul Wahid Shaikh, a human rights defender and school teacher, was met with an unexpected visit. At approximately 5 am, a group of individuals arrived at his residence. Some were in Mumbai police uniforms, while others were dressed in plain clothes. They informed Shaikh that they were law enforcement officers and requested his cooperation in opening the door.

Shaikh, no stranger to legal troubles, had previously spent nine years behind bars due to alleged connections with the July 11, 2006 serial train blast case. However, he was ultimately acquitted by the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) court in 2015.

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The recent visit from the police was part of a broader operation targeting the banned organization, Popular Front of India (PFI). Multiple locations were subject to raids, including the residence of Abdul Wahid Shaikh in Vikhroli. Despite his acquittal in the 2006 Mumbai train blast case, Shaikh had experienced continued harassment by law enforcement agencies.

Shaikh’s reluctance to open the door was based on his demand to see proper identification and paperwork authorizing the raid. He documented the situation by recording a video from within his home, explaining, “Some people claiming to be police personnel came to my residence at 5 am. Neither have they identified themselves nor have they given any notice. They broke one door and broke my camera. I have not opened the door for the past three hours. My wife and kids are unwell, and we are trapped in our house.”

The case that triggered these events was initially filed in May 2022 at the Phulwarisharif police station in Bihar. Subsequently, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the case. The central allegation in this case revolves around the gathering of individuals with suspicious intentions in the Phulwarisharif area of Patna.