In a bid to choke the flow of finances to separatists, J&K State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Saturday attached several properties of Jamat-e-Islami (JeL) worth over Rs 122 crore including a house in Srinagar registered in the name of late pro-Pakistan separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
The SIA has identified as many as 188 JeL properties across the Union Territory, which have either been notified or are under the process of being notified for further legal action.
The SIA has unearthed further assets of the banned JeL in Pulwama, Kulgam, Budgam and Srinagar districts. The properties at a dozen locations worth Rs 122.89 crore approximately after being notified by the DMs concerned on the recommendation of SIA have been barred with restrictions on usage and entry, properties notified on Saturday include a residential house registered in Geelani’s name.
NIA officials said the two-storey residential house over 17 marlas and 199 square feet at Barzulla South is in the name of Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Firdous Ahmad Asmi.
The property was believed to have been purchased in the late 1990s by JeL and was registered in Geelani’s name who used to live there till early 2000 when he shifted to the Hyderpora area of the city. He died in September last year.
The property was later used as the residence of Ameer’ (chief) of the JeL, officials said. A search was also carried out in the house, the ground floor of which has been occupied by one Shahzada Aurangzeb, resident of Moolu Chitragam area of Shopian since November 2018.
A notarized rent deed has also been executed in this regard in September 2020 for a period of five years at a monthly rent of Rs 1,000. However, no rent has till date been paid. From the search carried out, a mobile phone of the tenant with a SIM inserted in it has been recovered and seized, the officials added.
The other properties notified among others include Al-Huda Health Care Centre, shops and school building over land measuring 6 kanals 18 marlas in Pulwama, and non-functional ‘Darsgah’ (religious school) over four marlas of land at Nowbal Kulgam.