Recently, Popular Front of India (PFI) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India challenging Central Government's decision to impose a 5-year ban on it and its eight affiliated fronts.

A Special Leave Petition (SLP) has been submitted to contest the order of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) Tribunal, presided over by Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, issued in March of this year, which affirmed the Central Government's decision.

The case of the Popular Front of India (PFI) was scheduled for a hearing today before a division bench of the Supreme Court, consisting of Justice Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi.

However, the hearing was postponed due to the circulation of a letter.

Last year, on September 28, 2022, the Central Government, utilizing the authority granted by Sub-section (1) of Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its purported eight affiliated fronts as 'unlawful associations.'

To provide some historical context, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted extensive operations and raids in multiple states to investigate and locate individuals associated with the organization.

The government had additionally asserted that the PFI engaged in activities that were illegal and posed a threat to the country's integrity, sovereignty, and security, potentially disrupting communal harmony.

PFIs linkages were established by two proscribed organizations, the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), and Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

It is to be noted that in October 2022, the Central government notified the appointment of Justice Sharma as the presiding officer of the UAPA Tribunal to review the ban imposed by it.

Case Title: Popular Front of India vs. Union of India