SRINAGAR: To tap terror activities in the valley, Jammu and Kashmir Police have started a major crackdown against those harbouring Pakistan-sponsored terrorism activities and are attaching immoveable properties.
The Srinagar police on Thursday tweeted: “Process has started for attachment of some immovable properties which have been used for purpose of terrorism as per section 2(g) & 25 of ULP Act. Don’t give shelter or harbour terrorists/ terror associates. Legal action will be supplemented by property attachments as per law.”
Most of the immovable properties being attached are from the Downtown area of Srinagar, Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar, Rakesh Balwal told The News Indian. Downtown has remained of hub of stone pelting for years altogether.
“Earlier, we seized movable properties that included bikes, scooters and cars,” he said, adding that anybody harbouring terrorist/ associates and terrorism will have to face attachment of property.
The senior police officer said it is being attached under Section 19 of UAPA- Punishment for harbouring, etc.—Whoever voluntarily harbours or conceals, or attempts to harbour or conceal any person knowing that such person is a terrorist shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three years but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.
Senior officers in the police said that attachment of property of those who aid terrorism/ terrorist activities will be taken in up other districts of Kashmir, especially south Kashmir, as well.
“A total of 61 vehicles, five houses, six shops, besides land and cash were subsequently seized or attached under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in second month (Feb) of last year,” a top officer said, adding that the properties belonged separatist leaders and their associates. “The permission attachment was granted in 46 cases to restrict the terror activities by JK Police Headquarters.”
In January last year, Jammu and Kashmir police had attached immovable property of a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit associate in south Kashmir district of Pulwama.
The JeM terror associate belonged to Khrew area in Awantipora of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
In 2020, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had ordered attaching of a property of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist Irshad Ahmed Reshi, who was arrested by the agency in connection with an attack on a CRPF Group Centre in south Kashmir in 2017.
The house along with 17 marlas of land, situated in Ratnipora village of Kakapora area in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, was attached as a property that represents proceeds of terrorism and that which has been used for furtherance of activities of the JeM terrorist organisation, NIA had said after attachment of house.
In 2019, National Investigation Agency had attached hardline Kashmiri separatist leader Asiya Andrabi’s house on the outskirts of Srinagar city under the stringent UAPA anti-terror law.
The attachment order, the first by NIA against any separatist from Kashmir Valley, was pasted outside the residence of Andrabi, the chief of the banned Dukhtaran-E-Millat group, at 90 Feet Road in Soura area.