Geelani’s house among three JeI properties to be sealed in J&K: Officials

Jammu and Kashmir administration has ordered sealing of three properties belonging to banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) in Srinagar, including a house in the name of late Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

On the insistence of state investigation agency (SIA), Srinagar district magistrate (DM) had issued an order on Monday prohibiting the entry and usage of these properties by any person or association other than investigating officers of SIA and police officers enforcing the restrictions by virtue of sections 3 and 8 of the UAPA.

“Upon obtaining the report from tehsildar concerned and after perusal of revenue record, it was found that these properties are owned by and under possession of banned Jamaat-e-Islami association through their members,” the DM’s order said.

Srinagar deputy commissioner Aijaz Asad holds the post of DM.

The three properties include two pieces of land at Khushipora Shalateng in the name of JeI through district president Bashir Ahmad Lone and a two-storied residential structure at Barzulla in Srinagar in the name of Geelani and one Firdous Ahmad Asmi.

Geelani, who was a member of JeI from 1953 to 2004 and the face of separatism in Kashmir for over three decades, had died last year in September after a prolonged illness at 91.

The DM said he was “satisfied that there is sufficient material to notify the above mentioned properties under the said act”.

Directions have been issued to seize all accounts of the proscribed organisation whether in the name of members or institutions of affiliated units and furnish compliance reports immediately.

On Saturday, the SIA had sealed properties worth ?100 crore belonging to JeI in Baramulla, Bandipora, Ganderbal and Kupwara districts.

In November, the agency had raided 11 places in Anantnag and sealed properties worth ?90 crore. In the same month, nine properties worth more than ?2.58 crore were sealed in Shopian.

The central government had in 2019 banned the outfit for five years for its anti-national activities.

So far, the SIA has identified 188 JeI properties across the union territory which have either been notified or are under the process of being notified for further legal action.