Jamaat-e-Islami terror funding case: NIA raids multiple locations across Jammu and Kashmir

New Delhi: In its ongoing investigation against the outlawed Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) group in a terror funding case, National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday carried out searches at the residential premises against its cadres in Jammu and Kashmir. The NIA conducted the search operation along with Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) from 6 am. The fresh set of searches is conducted on the premises of JeI cadres and their supporters across Jammu and Kashmir. These raids are in continuation to the anti-terror agency’s 61 raids conducted by its sleuths on August 8 and August 9 in Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Anantnag, Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar and Rajouri districts in Jammu and Kashmir. Sources said that these searches were carried out after the NIA investigator found “some more leads” in connection with the case during last month questioning of over a dozen JeI suspects linked to the banned organisation. The NIA examined over a dozen JeI suspects for over a week at the agency headquarters here last month. Those JeI suspects examined by the NIA sleuths belonged to Ganderbal, Srinagar, Kupwara, Bandipora, Rajouri and Doda districts, the sources said. “We are looking for some more people linked to the JeI case and they will be summoned very soon as the examination is an ongoing process,” said the officials. The NIA is now engaged in “building up” the case as the suspects being questioned are among those JeI cadres whose residential premises were raided by the NIA sleuths during its August 8 and August 9 raids at the 61 locations in 14 districts in Jammu and Kashmir in the terror funding case. The NIA along with Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF had conducted searches at 56 locations on August 8 at 14 districts of Jammu and Kashmir. In continuation of the searches, the NIA sleuths further conducted searches at five more locations on August 9. The searches included the premises of office bearers of the JeI, its members and also offices of trusts purportedly run by the proscribed organisation. Various incriminating documents and electronic devices were seized from the premises of the suspects. JeI is an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banned the organisation on February 28, 2019. The case was registered against by NIA on February 5 this year in pursuance of to order from MHA relating to separatist and secessionist activities of JeI even after its proscription. NIA investigation has so far revealed that the members of JeI 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 these funds are instead being used for violent and secessionist activities. The funds raised by JeI are also being channelised to proscribed terrorist organisations such as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and others through well-organised networks of JeI cadres. JeI has also been motivating the impressionable youth of Kashmir and recruiting new members (Rukuns) in Jammu and Kashmir to participate in disruptive secessionist activities.