Top Jamaat leaders held in Jammu; 12 assets sealed, 6 Acctts frozen

Jehadi literature seized

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 2: Two days after the Government of India banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), Jammu and Kashmir for its links with terror and extremist elements, Jammu Police today launched one of the major crackdown across the region arresting three leaders of the outfit and detaining seven others ordering freeze of its six accounts and sealed nearly dozen assets during which “jehadi literature” in large quantity was recovered from Lawnyal, Kishtwar office, which showed that it was preaching ‘jehad’ and luring its cadre towards the militant outfits.
Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone, MK Sinha said 14 police teams, joined by para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), initiated simultaneous raids on Jamaat-e-Islami assets including offices, houses of the leaders and all wings affiliated with it in six districts including Jammu, Rajouri, Poonch, Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban.
“The raids were conducted after Jammu Police prepared detailed list of the Jamaat assets across the region, which concluded late this evening,” Sinha said.
Sources confirmed the arrests and said three leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami have been arrested from various places during the raids, which concluded this evening while seven others were detained.
“At least six bank accounts of the banned outfit have been identified and the concerned Banks have been directed to immediately freeze them. We have also asked the Banks to give complete details of the transactions in the accounts,” Sinha, who supervised the raids across the region, said.
Sources said nearly dozen assets of the Jamaat-e-Islami have been sealed in six districts. One of the prominent Jamaat leaders, Ghulam Nabi Gundana of Kishtwar was admitted in the hospital and he has been kept there in house arrest. One Jamaat leader from Jammu managed to escape and was being searched.
However, according to sources, houses and schools, which had Jamaat offices, were not sealed as per the Government instructions but were kept under surveillance. One of the Jamaat offices, which was located inside a Mosque in Doda district, has also not been sealed.
According to sources, police came across large quantity of “jehadi literature” during raid at Jamaat’s Lawnyal office in Kishtwar, which confirmed that it was engaged in promoting terror activities by luring youth into militancy.
Some incriminating documents were also seized from Jamaat offices at different places, sources said, adding the entire material was being scrutinized to ascertain sources of the material and some more arrests in this recorded were on the cards.
“All Jamaat assets including offices, residences of the leaders etc have been searched and accounts freezed. However, police was now focusing on hidden assets of the Jamaat. These hideouts will be identified during subsequent investigations for further action,” sources said.
They added that today’s raids on Jamaat were confined to six districts as per available record and inputs. They had only offices and other assets in these districts only. However, if Jamaat footprints are traced in four other districts of Jammu including Udhampur, Reasi, Samba and Kathua, raids will also be conducted there.
It may be mentioned here that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had a day before imposed ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu and Kashmir citing its involvement in encouraging terror and extremist elements. Yesterday, police had sealed number of establishments of Jamaat and arrested its leaders in the Kashmir valley.
While three Jamaat leaders were arrested in Kishtwar following recovery of “jehadi literature” from their possession, seven others have been detained.
The arrested Jamaat leaders have been identified as Iqbal Naik, ex-Aamir, Mohammad Majeed Sheikh, present Aamir and Ghulam Qadir Bhat, Secretary. Another Jamaat leader in Kishtwar, Ghulam Nabi Gundana was kept under house arrest in the hospital as he had undergone surgery.
The leaders, who were detained, included Ghulam Nabi in Ramban, Amir Mohammad Shamshi in Rajouri, Sadar-ud-Din and Noor-ud-Din Bhoru in Doda, Jamal Din and Noor Din in Jammu.
Two other leaders were absconding.

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