Jamaat assets worth Rs 4,500 crore under lens after crackdown

SRINAGAR: The Jammu & Kashmir government on Friday empowered the inspector generals and district magistrates to detain and arrest the functionaries of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), the controversial socio-religious organisation that was declared unlawful by the Centre a day ago.

The order was sent to all 22 districts of Jammu & Kashmir.

More than 350 enrolled members of JeI were arrested on Friday. The order has led to a crackdown on JeI’s functionaries operating 400 schools, 350 mosques and 1000 seminaries across the state.


Government officials said in some districts, these physical assets run into several hundreds of crores of rupees. However, their attachment would not be immediate.

“The district magistrate would get an inventory made by the police. Then depending on investigation another inventory would be made to ascertain whether the properties are legal or illegal. The total estimated properties could be well over Rs 4,500 crore. So far the order entails the arrest under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967,” said a top government official.

Government sources said they will also deliberate if the JeI members can be booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) or Section 151 CrPC (arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences).

“We will also have to verify if their functionary was already out on bail and can be booked again and the grounds and evidence needed to arrest him,” said a top police officer.

JeM, which for long has been advocating Kashmir’s secession from India and its integration with Pakistan, has built its assets with the help of donations received from people in the state and abroad.

The state administration refused to divulge any details about their bank deposits or bank accounts yet.

Among key leaders who have been arrested are Abdul Hamid Fayaz, Zahid Ali, Mudasir Ahmad, Ghulam Qadir. Several JeI leaders were picked up from Tral, Anantnag and Budgam.