NIA Raids Three J&K Locations in JeI Terror‑Funding Probe, Recovers Crucial Evidence
The searches led to the recovery of crucial evidence, including electronic gadgets and financial documents suspected to be linked to separatist and terror‑related activities in the region
SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday intensified its crackdown on terror financing networks in Jammu and Kashmir, conducting coordinated raids at three locations in Srinagar and Shopian as part of its ongoing probe into the banned Jamaat‑e‑Islami, J&K.
According to officials, the searches led to the recovery of crucial evidence, including electronic gadgets and financial documents suspected to be linked to separatist and terror‑related activities in the region.
An NIA spokesperson said the agency carried out the searches in connection with a terror‑funding case registered under RC‑03/2021/NIA/DLI, which focuses on the alleged role of Jamaat‑e‑Islami (JeI) in supporting secessionist activities. The raids, conducted with assistance from the J&K Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) forces, targeted premises associated with individuals believed to be connected to JeI’s network of trusts and affiliated organisations. Officials stated that several incriminating financial records and digital devices were seized, all of which are now being examined for their relevance to the investigation.
The NIA maintained that its ongoing probe has uncovered a systematic effort by JeI to raise funds both domestically and internationally under the guise of charitable and welfare initiatives, including health and education programmes. These funds, the agency alleged, were diverted to fuel terrorism in Kashmir and other parts of India. Investigators also believe that portions of the money were channelled to proscribed militant outfits such as Hizb‑ul‑Mujahideen through a well‑organised network of cadres and sympathisers.
According to the agency, the conspiracy extended beyond financing, encompassing the radicalisation and recruitment of impressionable Kashmiri youth as new members—referred to as Rukuns—to further separatist objectives. The NIA has reiterated that dismantling this ecosystem remains central to its efforts to curb secessionist activities and disrupt terror networks operating in J&K.
Sources said that Monday’s raids were part of a broader, Valley‑wide crackdown targeting overground workers, suspected financiers, and institutions believed to have links with the banned organisation. Among the locations searched was the Siraj‑ul‑Uloom educational institution in the Imam Sahib area of southern Shopian district, along with residential premises in Srinagar.
Jamaat‑e‑Islami, founded in Jammu and Kashmir in 1942 as a socio‑political and religious organisation, has faced repeated bans over the decades, including during the Emergency and at the height of militancy in the 1990s. The group was outlawed again in 2019, and the Union government extended the ban for another five years in 2024, citing its alleged involvement in extremist and anti‑national activities. While announcing the extension, the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, had reaffirmed the government’s policy of “zero tolerance” toward terrorism.
Historically, JeI has been associated with pro‑Pakistan political positions and played a significant role in the formation of the Muslim United Front (MUF), which contested the 1987 J&K Assembly elections against the National Conference–Congress alliance. Allegations of widespread rigging in those elections are widely believed to have contributed to the radicalisation of several MUF activists, including Muhammad Yusuf Shah—later known as Syed Salahuddin, the chief of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.
Although JeI publicly distanced itself from militancy in 1997, internal ideological differences eventually led to a split, with several members aligning with separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani to form the Tehreek‑e‑Hurriyat. The Ministry of Home Affairs declared Tehrik‑e‑Hurriyat an unlawful association in December 2023, imposing a five‑year ban under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
As the NIA continues its investigation, officials say the focus remains on exposing the full extent of JeI’s alleged financial and organisational networks and preventing the revival of structures that could support separatist or militant activities in the Union Territory.
