More action against terror financiers on cards
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, June 30: Police sealed the property of senior separatist leader and father of a Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) based Hizbul Mujahideen militant for funding the militancy through Hawala channels and are contemplating to seal property of few more people who are allegedly funding militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Police sealed house of senior separatist leader of hardline Hurriyat Conference and chairman of People’s League, Ghulam Mohammad Khan Sopori, at Chanapora in Srinagar for his alleged funding of Harkat-ul-Jehad Islami (HUJI) through Hawala transactions.
Police raided Khan’s house at around noon at Hamdaniya Colony, Chanapora in Srinagar and asked him to vacate it. As Sopori left the house along with his family, police sealed the house.
Police acted on the order of the then Director General of Police (DGP), Kuldeep Khoda, (Order No. 1762/2012 dated 18/05/2012) for attaching Khan’s house for funding Harkat-e-Jehade Islami militant outfit.
A case (under FIR number 84/2006 under sections 120B, 489C of Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), 7/25 of Arms Act and 40/A of Unlawful Activities (P) Act) against Sopori was being investigated by SDPO West, Dr. Shailender Mishra. The SDPO during his investigations of the case had found Sopori as conduit for the HJI and has been providing financial support to it through Hawala transactions.
The then DGP’s order said that Sopori has earned huge amounts of money by financing militants and has acquired the house at Chanpora for strengthening the designs of the outfit. The SDPO had sought permission of attaching Sopori’s house (vide letter no SDPO/W/12/3392-95 dated 03-05-2012) from the police higher ups.
However, Sopori while terming attaching of his house as victimization said that he is neither involved in hawala transactions nor in funding the militant organizations.
“I purchased the house along with three marlas of land in 1998 at a cost of Rs 1.75 lakhs. The house had to be renovated in 2008 as it suffered damages during the 2005 devastating earthquake. I purchased the house out of my own money and there is no hawala angle to it. I along with my wife, three sons and a daughter have no shelter and I have been victimized due to my allegiance with Hurriyat Conference,” said Sopori.
He alleged that the police did not give them time to wind up their belongings adding that this is a case of extreme high handedness. He said that four of his shops were gutted by the security forces at Sopore in 1990 adding that he shifted to Srinagar after that episode. He said he would seek relief from the court and counter the charges as framed against him by the police.
In Sopore, Police attached the property including house and seized one Santro car of Abdul Razaq Lone son of Abdul Aziz Lone of Wagub and his son Abdul Hamid Lone at village Wagub, Sopore in North Kashmir for funding militancy. However, the family was not evicted from the house and has been allowed to reside there.
While giving details SP Sopore, Imtiaz Hussain, said that the land measuring around 15 kanals located at 8 different spots including apple orchards and house premises of Abdul Razaq Lone and his son Abdul Hamid Lone were formally attached by the investigating officer in presence of revenue authorities.
The placards erected at the attached property site read: “This property is attached under section 25 of ULA (P) Act and shall not be transferred or dealt otherwise without the prior permission of the investigating officer.”
The SP said that Lones’ have been found involved in funding militancy through covert channels for which a case (FIR NO: 473/2009 u/s 13,17,21,40 ULA (P) Act) was registered in Police Station Sopore against them.
The SP said that Police have found in the investigation that another son of Adul Razaq Lone, Abdul Majeed Lone is associated with Hizbul Mujahideen and is presently based in PoK.
The SP that Abdul Majeed had asked his brother Abdul Hamid to transfer the value share of his landed property to him through militant channels. “Hamid has already handed over Rs 3 lakh as an installment of the value share of the property of his brother Abdul Majeed to the militants of Lashkare-Toiba(LeT) operating in Sopore”, the SP added.
He said that based on the evidence the remaining portion of the land was likely to be used for the purposes of militant organization. He said that land under Khasra Nos: 383, 386, and 390 situated at village Wagub, has been attached by the investigating officer for its proposed use for funding militancy.
The SP said that some other cases of militant funding in Sopore area have also surfaced during the course of investigation for which action under law is being contemplated.
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