New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at 14 locations across India on Thursday as part of its probe into the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and its alleged financial links with the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). The locations raided included the SDPI headquarters in New Delhi, along with premises in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram and Malappuram, Bengaluru, Nandyal (Andhra Pradesh), Thane, Chennai, Pakur (Jharkhand), Kolkata, Lucknow, and Jaipur.

The raids come just days after the arrest of SDPI national president MK Faizy on Monday night. Faizy, 55, was apprehended at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport upon arrival from Kochi. He was later remanded to ED custody for six days by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Tuesday. The ED alleges that SDPI received ₹4.07 crore in PFI funds and functioned as a political front for the banned organisation.

During the remand hearing, the ED argued that Faizy was "actively and knowingly" involved in acquiring, possessing, and utilizing illicit funds for various purposes, including election expenditure. Investigators claim that PFI funded and controlled SDPI’s operations, including candidate selection for elections and legal support for members accused in criminal cases.

A press release from the ED stated, "Numerous incriminating documents and digital evidence were recovered that establish SDPI as a front for PFI. The evidence shows that PFI controlled, funded, and supervised SDPI’s operations, including election campaigns, cadre mobilization, and policy-making."

The agency also alleged that Faizy ignored 12 summonses between March 2024 and February 7, 2025, leading to a non-bailable warrant against him before his arrest.

SDPI, established in 2009, maintains that it is an independent political entity, though the ED describes it as an extension of PFI. With investigative agencies tightening their scrutiny, the Election Commission may soon be informed about the alleged routing of illicit funds into SDPI’s operations.

With the latest raids, the ED is now focusing on tracking cross-border fundraising, money laundering channels, and financial transactions linked to SDPI and PFI. More arrests and legal action are expected as the investigation progresses.