Seized property of Jama’at recorded in the name of Syed Ali Geelani in Barzulla area of Srinagar | KO Photo By Abid Bhat
Srinagar- The Special Investigative Agency (SIA) of police on Saturday intensified its crackdown against Jama’at-e-Islami (JeI) by seizing properties worth Rs 123 crore of the now banned socio-political group, including the house registered in the name of Syed Ali Shah Geelani in Barzulla locality of this capital city.
The fresh rounds of seizures of Jama’at assets comes a week after SIA sealed immovable properties worth Rs 100 crore approximately in Bandipora, Kupwara and Baramulla districts of North Kashmir and Ganderbal district in Central Kashmir on Saturday last.
Shifting focus to South and Central Kashmir, the SIA on Saturday “unearthed” assets worth hundreds of crores at about a dozen locations in the four districts of Pulwama, Kulgam, Budgam and Srinagar.
The properties were sealed and barred with restrictions on usage and entry after being notified by concerned District Magistrates on the recommendation of SIA, an agency spokesperson said Saturday.
The move, he said, is aimed to choke the availability of funds for secessionist activities and to dismantle the ecosystem of anti-national elements and militant networks hostile to India’s sovereignty.
“These premises/ structures have been barred and entry and usage has been prohibited reads the notification. Besides Red entry to this effect has been made in the relevant revenue records,” he said.
During the seizure proceedings, the spokesperson said that it was found that about a dozen business establishments in Kulgam, including shopping complex at Magam are currently running from these JeI properties on rent basis.
“After due diligence, it was decided that these would be allowed to continue so that private persons who may not have any connections with JeI and are only tenants paying rent to JeI, are not penalized and their livelihood not impaired,” he added.
Among the properties sealed by SIA on Saturday, includes land, shops, business establishments, shopping complex, school and residential house. The assets, the spokesperson said are the fourth set of properties to be notified in a series of properties belonging to Jama’at in Jammu and Kashmir.
In Srinagar, the agency sealed 3 kanal land at Khushipura locality of Shalteng, besides a double storey house over 17 marla & 199 Sft at Barzulla registered in the name of late Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Firdous Ahmad Asmi of Eidgah.
The SIA spokesperson said that the ground floor of the house comprising four rooms with kitchen and 2 bedrooms for residential purposes as per rent deed has been occupied by one Shahzada Aurangzeb of Shopian since November 2018.
“Shahzada Aurangzeb is himself a permanent Rukn of JeI and has also served as Amir-e-Zila District Shopian. He is presently working as Academic Officer at Jamait-u-Banaat ( a women college affiliated with JKBOSE and University of Kashmir) Lal Bazar, Srinagar since 2020. Earlier he has also served as Principal at Siraj-ul-Uloom Shopian,” he said.
He further added that a notarised Rent Deed has also been executed in this regard in September 2020 for a period of five years at a monthly rent of Rs 1000.
“However, no rent has till date been paid. From the search carried out one Mobile phone of the tenant with one SIM inserted in it has been recovered & seized” the spokesperson said.
In Kulgam district, he said, the SIA sealed non-functional Darsgah over 4 marlas of land at Nowbal, land measuring 14 marlas on which a mosque & 4 shops exist at Qaimoh, 1 building and 3 shops over land measuring 1 kanal & 14 Marla at Redwani, land measuring 1 marla on which a Kuthar exists at Hawoora and land measuring 16 kanals & 18 marlas in main town Kulgam.
Similarly in Pulwama, the spokesperson said, Al-Huda Health Care Centre, Shops & school building over land measuring 6 kanals 18 marlas & 3.25 sirsai and a four storey building on land measuring 1 kanal & 3 marlas at Awantipora were sealed.
In Budgam district, land measuring nearly 14 kanal, besides a shopping complex were sealed.
“The action would uproot the menace of militant funding to a great extent in J&K, besides being a stepping stone in ensuring rule of law & a society without fear,” the spokesperson said.
The SIA, he said, has identified as many as 188 JeI properties across the UT of J&K which have either been notified or are under the process of being notified for further legal action.
“These are as a result of investigation of case FIR number 17 of 2019 U/S 10, 11 & 13 of Police Station Batmaloo being investigated by SIA,” the spokesperson added.
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