NIA raids two places in J&K’s Anantnag district during terror case probe

Srinagar, Aug 22 (IANS) Sleuths of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday raided two places in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district in connection with an ongoing investigation in a terror case.

Officials said accompanied by J&K Police and the CRPF, the sleuths of NIA raided two houses at Bijbehara and Dooru in Anantnag district.

The NIA investigates major terror and terror-funding cases in Jammu and Kashmir involving banned terror groups, secessionist networks and hybrid operatives.

These active probes target conspiracies by Pakistan-backed outfits and their proxy offshoots aiming to revive or sustain violence in the region.

Cases being investigated by NIA include terror funding and charity misuse. Probes into networks like the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) for raising and channeling funds domestically and internationally under the guise of charity to fuel secessionist actions.

Crackdowns targeting Overground Workers (OGWs) and hybrid operatives linked to outfits like The Resistance Front (TRF), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Al-Badr.

Investigations tracking the delivery of sticky bombs, IEDs, arms, ammunition, and narcotics dropped via drones or cross-border smuggling networks into border districts like Poonch are also under the NIA

Investigations into Radicalization and Digital Propaganda include cases focussing on handlers utilising social media platforms to radicalise and recruit local youth into newly-floated terror outfits.

The cornerstone of terror funding investigation by NIA was targeting the financial channels fueling stone-pelting and unrest. The NIA filed extensive chargesheets against prominent Hurriyat leaders, including Yasin Malik (sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022) and Hafiz Saeed.

Investigations revealed complex Hawala networks, cross-border trade manipulations, and funding channels used to sustain street violence.

The NIA’s investigation centred on ‘Dukhtaran-Milat’, an all-women secessionist outfit, culminated in a landmark judgment by an NIA Special Court. Founder of the outfit, Aasiya Andrabi was sentenced to life imprisonment, and her top aides received 30-year prison terms for spearheading a physical and digital war against India.

–IANS

sq/rad