Anti-terror crackdown: J&K Police seal Hurriyat office, raid houses of Jamaat-linked men

Srinagar, Oct 1 (IANS) J&K Police on Wednesday attached and sealed the office of the banned Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH) in Budgam and carried out searches at the houses of two persons linked with the proscribed Jamaat-e-Islami in the Sopore area.

Police said in Budgam district, the head office of the TeH at Rehmatabad, Hyderpora, was attached. “The attachment, carried out under Section 25 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA), reflects a continuing crackdown on entities accused of subversive activities in Jammu and Kashmir. Late separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani used the said office, and it was the hub of separatist political activity,” police said.

In another operation, Sopore Police carried out searches at the residences of two Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI)-linked individuals in the Zaloora area of Sopore, as part of its ongoing crackdown against separatist and militant networks.

The searches were conducted after obtaining proper search warrants under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) from a competent court, said police.

“Houses belonging to Muhammad Maqbool Bhat, son of Abdul Rahim Bhat, and Tanveer Ahmad Dar, son of Abdul Jabbar Dar, both residents of Zaloora Sopore, were thoroughly searched in the presence of local Magistrates and independent witnesses. The process was carried out with strict legal compliance and transparency. These searches led to the recovery of incriminating material believed to be linked with the proscribed outfit Jamaat-e-Islami," said officials.

The seized material has been taken into custody and will be examined further as part of the investigation, the officials added.

Authorities refrained from giving specifics, citing the sensitive nature of the probe, but said the material could prove vital in tracking networks involved in separatist and unlawful activities.

“The raids were not random but part of a broader investigative process connected with ongoing cases registered under UAPA. The action is aimed at identifying and dismantling support structures that aid separatist ideology or provide logistical backing to banned organisations,” police said.

--IANS

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