The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday launched a major operation against the Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir (JeI), carrying out simultaneous raids across multiple locations in Central and South Kashmir. According to sources, the raids were conducted in several areas, including Lal Bazaar in Srinagar and parts of the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir.
NIA raids banned Darul Uloom, ex-Jamaat chief's house
The raids were conducted at two locations in the Shopian district, including Darul Uloom Sirajul Uloom, which was declared an illegal entity last month.
NIA sleuths carried out searches at the school in Imam Sahib area in Shopian in the early hours. The education institute imparts both religious and formal education to hundreds of students.
Officials said another NIA team also searched the residence of the former chief of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami, Shahzada Aurangzeb, at Molu Chitragam in the district.
NIA sources said the agency received inputs suggesting attempts were being made to reactivate Jamaat-e-Islami in order to revive separatist activities and promote anti-India narratives in Jammu and Kashmir.
The agency has conducted searches at multiple suspected locations linked to the organisation as part of the ongoing investigation.
Govt banned Jamaat-e-Islami in 2024
In February 2024, the central government extended the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir for another five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), declaring it an unlawful organisation. The Jamaat-e-Islami is accused of engaging in terrorism-related activities, separatism, and anti-India propaganda.
The ban was extended for the next five years after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) found that the organisation is continuing its activities against the security, integrity, and sovereignty of the nation.
The outfit was first declared an 'Unlawful Association' on February 28, 2019.
As per the MHA, the Jamaat-e-Islami is in close touch with terror outfits and is continuously supporting extremism and militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. It is supporting claims for secession of a part of the Indian territory from the Union and supporting terrorist and separatist groups fighting for this purpose by indulging in activities and articulations intended to disrupt the territorial integrity of India.
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