The Jammu and Kashmir state investigation agency (SIA) on Saturday sealed several properties worth crores of rupees of the banned Jamat-e-Islami (JeI) across the UT, officials said.
The properties at about a dozen locations worth about ₹100 crore were barred with restrictions on usage and entry in Baramulla, Bandipora, Ganderbal and Kupwara districts, they said.
The properties were barred after being notified by district magistrates of Baramulla, Bandipora, Ganderbal and Kupwara on the recommendation of the SIA, the officials said.
The move is aimed at choking the availability of funds for secessionist activities and to dismantle the ecosystem of anti-national elements and terror networks hostile to India’s sovereignty, they said.
These premises/structures were barred and entry and usage was prohibited, besides “red entry” to this effect has been made in the relevant revenue records, the officials said.
During the seizure proceedings, it was found that about two dozen business establishments in the towns of Kupwara and Kangan (in Ganderbal) were currently running from out of these JeI properties on a rent basis, they said.
After due diligence, it was decided that these would be allowed to continue so that private persons who may not have any connections with JeI and are only tenants paying rent to JeI are not penalised and their livelihood not impaired, the officials said.
They said these properties are the third set of properties to be notified in a series of properties belonging to the JeI.
Property of Pak-based LeT commander attached in Doda
Jammu and Kashmir authorities on Saturday attached the property of absconding Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Abdul Rashid alias ‘Jehangir’, who had been operating from across the Line of Control and making attempts to revive terrorism, police said.
The land measuring over four kanals at Khanpura village in Doda district’s Thathri was attached by a joint team of revenue and police officials under relevant sections of the CrPC on orders of the judicial magistrate, Doda senior superintendent of police (SSP) Abdul Qayoom said.
He said the police are in the process of initiating proceedings against other local terrorists as well who have exfiltrated to Pakistan and trying to lure youth through the virtual mode or social media into joining terror folds and revive militancy in the district.
The SSP said Rashid had gone to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in 1993 and returned after getting arms training with an intention to carry out subversive activities.
“After his infiltration from Pakistan, he remained active along with other dreaded and hardcore terrorists and was found involved in number of attacks on civilians and security forces besides incidents of arson and explosions in the district. “Apart from that, a number of local youths were instigated and recruited by him into militancy,” the officer said.
He said another terrorist commander Mohd Amin alias Khubaib of Thathri was initially motivated and recruited by Rashid.
“Amin is also presently operating from Pakistan and making desperate attempts to revive terrorism in the Chenab valley – Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts of Jammu region. “He masterminded a number of terror-related incidents, including IED blasts, drone dropping and smuggling of weapons in the recent past,” he added.
Both Rashid and Amin managed their exfiltration to Pakistan over a decade back and have been declared as proclaimed offenders by a local court.
A number of FIRs are registered against them at various police stations in Doda and other districts of the Jammu region, the officer said.