The Jammu Kashmir administration has planned to launch a major crackdown on the assets of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), militants and Over Ground Workers (OGWs) by sealing the major properties belonging to them, Daily Excelsior reported.
Quoting official sources, the report said, that nearly 250 assets of militants, OGWs and Jamaat e Islami are under the radar and the majority of them have been identified by different investigating agencies with the help of civil administration across Jammu Kashmir. Around 60 properties are in Jammu division and the rest are in the Kashmir valley.
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.
The sources claimed that while the exact amount of the assets is still being determined, it is expected to be in the several crore ranges. They added that the properties include offices, homes, land (both commercial and agricultural), shops, and some moveable property.
According to sources, a lengthy exercise to identify the assets of Jamaat e Islami, militants (some of whom are based in Pakistan and were attempting to run militancy in Jammu Kashmir from there), others operating in Kashmir, and others operating in OGWs is nearing completion, and the agencies will now begin a crackdown because these properties have been managed through terror financing and other illegal means.
“A number of organisations, including the SIA, JKP, Intelligence, and civil administration, are working together to coordinate the property sealing drive. The Revenue Department has located and verified the assets. The entire procedure is being carried out methodically with the assistance of legal specialists to make sure there are no gaps left for the banned cadre to later exploit legally, “the report added.
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 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
The police in Jammu on December 17 seized the assets of Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Abdul Rashid alias Jehangir in Khanpura tehsil of Thathri in Doda district.
It was in 2019 that the Centre had put a ban on JeI.