NIA raids at 56 J&K locations on terror funds
■ Did Jamaat divert charity donations?
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday carried out raids at the offices of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) in Jammu and Kashmir and the homes of its leaders and prominent activists across the Union territory in connection with a case registered earlier this year by it against the right-wing cadrebased socio-religiouspolitical outfit for allegedly diverting large sums of money received through donations at home and abroad to fund separatist militants.
As many as 56 locations in eight of J&K’s 20 districts were raided and thoroughly searched by scores of NIA teams, which were assisted by the local police and CRPF personnel, sources said. The searches were also carried out at the offices and other premises of Falah-e-Aam Trust, a JeI subsidiary which runs a number of schools and orphanages in J&K. The raids were conducted in Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Anantnag, Budgam, Rajouri, Doda and Shopian, among other areas.
The Union home ministry had on February 28, 2019 banned the JeI for a period of five years after declaring it an “unlawful
◗ AS MANY AS 56 locations in eight of J&K’s 20 districts were raided and thoroughly searched by scores of NIA teams, which were assisted by the local police and CRPF personnel, sources said. The searches were also carried out at the offices and other premises of Falah-e-Aam Trust, a JeI subsidiary which runs a number of schools and orphanages in J&K.
association”. The MHA said it had the potential of disrupting the nation’s unity and integrity, and claimed if the party’s activities were not curbed immediately, it was likely to “escalate its subversive activities, including an attempt to carve out an Islamic State out of the territory of Union of India”, continue advocating the secession of J&K, and propagate “anti-national and separatist” sentiments.
The MHA had claimed the JeI was the main organisation responsible for the propagation of separatist and radical ideology in the former state, particularly in the Kashmir Valley. Earlier, the J&K police had in a major crackdown arrested the leadership and key activists and sympathisers of JeI. Most of them were subsequently detailed under J&K’s
stringent Public Safety Act.
The NIA said JeI members had been collecting funds domestically and abroad through donations, particularly zakat and other forms of mandatory and voluntary Islamic charity to help the needy and carrying out various welfare activities, “but these funds are instead being used for violent and secessionist activities”.
It alleged: “The funds raised by JeI are also being channeled to militants such as Hizb-ulMujahideen (HM), Lashkar-eTayyaba (LeT) and others through well organised networks of JeI cadres. The JeI has also been motivating impressionable youth of Kashmir and recruiting new arakeen (members) to participate in disruptive secessionist activities.”
The NIA said a case under the relevant legal provisions was registered by it against the JeI in New Delhi on February 5 this year.
The NIA said the searches were done at the premises of office bearers and members of JeI and also at the offices of the trusts purportedly run by it. “During the searches today, various incriminating documents and electronic devices were seized from the premises of the suspects. Further investigation in the case continues,” the NIA said. No arrests are reported to have been made on Sunday.
Interestingly, Sunday’s raids were the third major operation conducted by the NIA in J&K in the last three weeks.
On July 10, the NIA had also arrested six people from different parts of J&K in terror funding cases. Also, after directions from the Union home ministry, as many as 11 employees of the J&K government were sacked for alleged terrorist links. This also included two sons of Hizbul Mujahideen founder Syed Salahuddin.