Major operation to start to seize properties in Jammu too
Offices, houses, land run into several crores
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 27: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) in assistance with Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP), Intelligence agencies, civil administration etc planned to launch major crackdown on the assets of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), militants based in Pakistan and those operating in the UT and Over Ground Workers (OGWs) by sealing the major properties belonging to them running into several crores.
“Nearly 250 assets of JeI, militants and OGWs are under radar and majority of them have been identified by different investigating agencies with the help of civil administration across Jammu and Kashmir. Around 60 properties are in Jammu division and rest in the Kashmir valley,” official sources told the Excelsior.
Properties of proscribed organizations’ cadre in Jammu division are mostly confined in Jammu, Kishtwar, Doda, Ramban, Rajouri and Poonch districts, they said.
However, in Kashmir, it is spread across all 10 districts, they said.
Exact cost of the assets is being worked out but it runs into several crores, the sources said, adding the properties include offices, houses, land (both commercial and agriculture), shops and some movable property.
Asserting that it was a time consuming exercise to identity assets of Jamaat cadre, militants (some of whom have fled to Pakistan and were trying to run militancy in Jammu and Kashmir from there), others operating in the UT and OGWs, sources said a prolonged exercise is nearing completion and now the agencies would launch crackdown as these properties have been managed through terror financing and other illegal means.
“The property sealing drive is being coordinated by multiple agencies including the SIA, JKP, Intelligence and civil administration. The assets of the cadre of banned outfits have been identified and authenticated by the Revenue administration. Entire process is being executed cautiously with the help of legal experts to ensure that no lacunae is left for the banned cadre to take legal advantage later,” the sources said.
They added that seizure of the property of militants and OGWs will serve as major deterrent for those planning to join militancy.
“Some of the militants whose assets have been identified for seizure hailed from Jammu and Kashmir but are presently operating from Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) directing and coordinating terror operations from there,” sources said.
Jamaat-e-Islami, Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen and various other militant outfits whose cadres’ property has been identified for seizure are banned organizations. Few days back, the SIA and civil administration had sealed Barzulla (Srinagar) residence of late separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Land of a militant was also seized in Doda district.
The concerned agencies have been taking full support of local police to ensure that there is no law and order problem during seizure of the property, the sources said.
Though the militancy in Jammu and Kashmir has been well under control, the police and Intelligence agencies were of the view that sealing of the property of banned outfits’ cadre will go a long way in curbing the anti-national activities.
This year, a large number of militants including their commanders have been eliminated in anti-terror operations by Jammu and Kashmir Police, Army and CRPF bringing number of the active militants considerably down and leading to sharp decline in militant activities.
On November 26, at least 11 properties belonging to Jamaat-e-Islami were notified and subsequently confiscated by District Magistrate of Anantnag after a recommendation was made to the court by SIA.
In Jammu, on December 17, the property of absconding Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Abdul Rashid alias Jehangir was seized by the authorities in Khanpura tehsil of Thathri in Doda district following a court order.
It was in 2019 that crackdown started against JeI. It was soon after the Pulwama suicide militant attack-which left over 40 CRPF soldiers martyred.
Next, the security forces began arresting JeI cadre and its organisation’s who’s and who in Valley, following the Centre’s order.
The Centre had put a ban on JeI. The Government reasoned that JeI was “intending to escalate its subversive activities, including attempts to carve out an Islamic state out of the Union of India by destabilizing the Government-established law”.
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