‘Trust used funds to radicalize, incite youth for unlawful activities’
*Documents related to funding, properties seized
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Oct 11: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today conducted raids at 18 locations across eight districts of the UT including offices of Al Huda Educational Trust (AHET) and persons associated with it amid reports that the AHET had established itself as an off-shoot of banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI).
In Jammu division, raids were conducted at five places in Rajouri district, two locations in Poonch and one at Jammu and many incriminating documents, mobile telephones, papers related to funding and properties etc were recovered.
The NIA has arrested Mohammad Ameer Shamshi, a resident of Rajouri, who was operating as Chairperson (Nizam-e-ala) of AHET. He has been shifted for sustained questioning to ascertain his links in past as well as present with JeI and other activities.
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The NIA teams searched houses of Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of Power Development Department Fakkruddin son of Mohammad Dawood at his ancestral house at village Galhan Taryath in Kalakote tehsil of Rajouri district and his rented accommodation at Sarafa in Mendhar town where he was putting up presently due to his posting there, house of Dr Riaz Ahmed of South Kashmir’s Shopian district, presently staying at Malik Market, Rajouri and posted at Primary Health Centre (PHC) Dalhori, headquarters of Al Huda Educational Trust at Bela Colony in Rajouri, house of Shamshi at Choudhary Narh in Rajouri where he was also running a Madarssa and residence of Wajahid Ahmed, brother in-law of Shamshi at Hujjan, Darhal.
In Jammu, police conducted searches at the residence of Head Constable (Traffic) Manzoor Hussain son of Ghulam Hussain, a resident of Marhot at Mohalla Malik Market near Wave Mall on City’s outskirts. Manzoor is posted in Traffic Police Jammu.
Manzoor’s residence at Marhot in Surankote was also raided.
While exact role of AEE PDD Fakkruddin, Dr Riaz Ahmed and Head Constable in Traffic Police Manzoor Ahmed couldn’t be ascertained immediately, sources said they were linked to Al Huda Educational Trust and had funded activities of the Trust as well as a Madarsa being run by Shamsi.
Among the people whose houses were raided by the NIA in Kashmir include renowned religious preacher and Rector Darul Uloom Raheemiyyah Bandipora, Moulana Rehamtullah Qasmi and Samam Ahmad Lone, Professor at NIT Srinagar.
“Shamsi’s past is quite doubtful and his involvement in anti-national activities is part of investigations,” sources said, adding it was in this context that Shamshi has been arrested while others whose premises were raided haven’t been detained. However, they will be called for questioning as and when required by the NIA.
Shamsi’s role in terror-funding is also under scanner, they said, adding after Jamaat-e-Islami was banned by the Union Home Ministry, he started Jamaat activities under the banner of Al Huda Educational Trust at Rajouri.
After getting specific inputs, the National Investigation Agency registered a Regular Case No. 7/2022/NIA at Jammu and started investigations. Today’s searches were part of the investigations conducted by the NIA so far and second round of raids is not ruled out, if required.
An official statement issued by the NIA said: “Jamaat-e-Islami J&K after being declared as an unlawful association under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), continued its activities through its frontal organizations. One such organization is Al Huda Educational Tryst of district Rajouri”.
It said the Trust has been found raising funds through various means including donations, hawala etc purportedly for charitable purposes, but were instead using these funds to radicalize and incite the youth of Jammu and Kashmir for unlawful activities and disrupt territorial integrity and sovereignty of India.
“Investigations have revealed that Mohammad Ameer Shamshi is the Chairperson (Nizam-e-ala) of AHET and acts on the directions of the chief patron of the Trust. Investigations also revealed that ex-officio chief patron of AHET is the Ameer-e-Jamaat, JeI (J&K). The Trust continued to raise funds even after declaration of JeI J&K as un unlawful association,” the statement said.
It added that suspected links of AHET with other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Trusts operating in the Kashmir valley have also emerged during investigations.
During the searches, the statement said, several mobile devices and documents related to funding, properties etc have been seized. Further investigation in the case is in progress.
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