- Friday, April 26, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIA’S National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday (8) carried out multiple raids against members linked with the Jamaat-e-Islami across Jammu and Kashmir, more than two years after the religious outfit was banned by the Narendra Modi government under anti-terror laws, official sources said.
The raids were conducted early in the morning at over 45 places on the houses and offices of the Jamaat activists in almost all districts of Kashmir and a few in the Jammu region, including Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar and Rajouri, they added.
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In February, the central government banned Jamaat for five years under anti-terror laws on the ground that it was “in close touch” with militant outfits and was expected to “escalate secessionist movement” in the erstwhile state.
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A notification banning the group under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was issued by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) following a high-level meeting on security chaired by prime minister Modi.
Hundreds of activists of Jamaat were arrested in a major crackdown across Jammu and Kashmir after the ban that came just months ahead of the abrogation of J&K’s special status under Article 370 of the India Constitution. The state was subsequently bifurcated into two Union stories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The officials said the latest NIA raids that were accompanied by police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel were carried out in connection with a current probe into a case related to the group’s terror activities.
They said searches were going on at multiple locations.
In July, talks were held in an MHA review over the growing influence of Jamaat. Union home minister Amit Shah had then asked the security forces to take action to stop radicalisation of youth.
On July 10, sleuths arrested six people from across Jammu and Kashmir in connection with a terror-funding case.
A Delhi court had earlier ordered framing of charges against four alleged Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists observing prima facie evidence against them for taking funds from Pakistan to carry out terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
