SRINAGAR, July 1: Doing a first, police have sealed a house belonging to a separatist sympathiser, Ghulam Mohammad Khan alias Sopori, 65, for allegedly using militants’ money to raise property in Srinagar.
The authorities allege that Khan had earned huge amounts by acting as a conduit to the banned Harkat-e-Jihadi-Islami (militant outfit) and had acquired a house at Natipora area in Srinagar.
On Saturday, Khan, along with his wife and four children, including a daughter, were evacuated from their house by the police and officials of the local administration.
The family of six, including Khan’s three sons, a daughter and wife, staged protests at the press colony near the city centre Lalchowk calling the police action as “suppressive tactic”.
“I am with the freedom struggle for past 50 years. During my interrogation inside different jails, I was asked to relent from my stand. How can I do it at this age now?” said the 65-year-old Khan.
“Our house is spread over two marlas (544 square feet) and was constructed in 1998 at Rs. 1.75 lakh. We built it when our father was in jail. Today we could only salvage clothes and left behind everything,” Sajad Ahmed, Khan’s son said.
“These are Israeli tactics,” he added.
Ghulam Muhammad Khan is a member of separatist group Peoples League which is part of the Hurriyat Conference – an alliance of separatist parties – headed by hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
The family was first served notice on May 3 to evacuate the house under Unlawful Activities Act. But Khan says he is planning to move the court against, what he calls, were attempts to cow him down.
“I am falsely implicated in militancy. I have nothing to do with the militant group,” he said.
The police have charged Khan under Section 120B of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), hatching criminal conspiracy; 489 C (RPC), dealing illegal currency; 7/25 of Indian Arms Act, dealing with possession of weapons illegally and 40/A under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
There is a provision in the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act that property of a person could be seized if there is sufficient proof that the place is raised by money earned through militant activities.
