NIA carries out raids at different locations in Doda and Jammu

Official sources said the raids are being carried out at Dhara-Gundana, Munshi Mohalla, Akramband, Nagri Nai Basti, Kharoti Bhagwah, Thalela and Malothi Bhalla in Doda district and Bhatindi in Jammu. The searches are being carried out in a case related to terror funding, they said.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out raids at different locations in Doda and Jammu against members of banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) in a terror funding case, officials said. According to reliable sources, the NIA conducted a surprise raid on the residence of Noor Din Bohru in Doda, who works for Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH). It is learnt that he was retired from the Agriculture Department.

According to the official sources, the raid started at around 7: 45 am in the house of Hafiz Ullah Son of Mohd Abdullah, a resident of Doda and currently living at Firdosabad in Jammu's Bhatindi. Hafiz Ullah retired as DFO from the Forest department 7-8 years ago. He has been staying in Bathindi for the last 10 years.

Officials said that the raid was in connection with the attack in Jalalabad in the month of April this year. The raid concluded at 12:00 PM.

Official sources said the raids are being carried out at Dhara-Gundana, Munshi Mohalla, Akramband, Nagri Nai Basti, Kharoti Bhagwah, Thalela and Malothi Bhalla in Doda district and Bhatindi in Jammu. The searches are being carried out in a case related to terror funding, they said.

The case, registered by NIA suo-moto on February 5 last year, pertains to the activities of the JeI members, who have been collecting funds domestically and abroad through donations, particularly in the form of 'Zakat, Mowda and Bait-ul-Mal' purportedly to further charity and other welfare activities, but are using the money for "violent and secessionist" activities.

According to the NIA, the funds being raised by JeI are also channelised to proscribed terrorist organisations such as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba and others through well-organised networks of JeI cadre. "The JeI has also been motivating impressionable youth of Kashmir and recruiting new members (Rukuns) in the Union Territory to participate in disruptive secessionist activities," the NIA had said.

In February 2019, the Centre had banned JeI for five years under anti-terror laws on grounds that it was "in close touch" with militant outfits and was expected to "escalate secessionist movement" in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. A notification banning the group under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs after a high-level meeting on security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Hundreds of JeI activists were arrested in a major crackdown across Jammu and Kashmir following the ban, which came just months ahead of the abrogation of the special status of the erstwhile state and its bifurcation into two Union territories in August 2019.

It is pertinent to mention that the case is related to the funding of a banned organisation which carries out terror and separatist-related activities in Jammu and Kashmir after being funded by the terror sympathisers. Notably, similar raids were conducted in Jammu and Doda districts by the NIA teams a year ago on the same day. (With Agency inputs)