Srinagar – Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police have broadened their crackdown on terror support networks, focusing on the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and individuals involved in a "white-collar" terror module. In the past four days, over 500 people have been interrogated, with many detained, and over 400 Cordon and Search Operations (CASOs) launched in the Kulgam district.
The intensified operations follow the Delhi blast and the busting of an inter-state “white-collar” militant module. Raids were conducted at more than 300 locations linked to individuals affiliated with the banned JeI across several districts including Kulgam, Pulwama, Shopian, Baramulla, and Ganderbal. These raids were based on credible intelligence inputs suggesting attempts by JeI-linked elements to revive their activities.
During the raids, a large quantity of incriminating materials, including documents, digital devices, and printed content with direct links to the banned outfit, were recovered and seized for detailed analysis. Several suspects have been detained for questioning to ascertain their role in unlawful and subversive activities. Many of those interrogated have been shifted to District Jail Mattan, Anantnag under preventive laws.
The police are also investigating a "white-collar" terror module allegedly operating out of Al Falah University in Faridabad. A preacher from Mewat, Haryana, identified as Maulvi Ishtiyaq, was detained in connection with this module. Over 2,500 kilograms of materials commonly used in explosives were recovered from his residence. Ishtiyaq has been brought to Srinagar for questioning and is likely to be formally arrested.
The investigation into the "white collar terror ecosystem" revealed that the module involved radicalized professionals and students in contact with foreign handlers operating from Pakistan and other countries. Funds were raised through professional and academic networks, under the guise of social/charitable causes. The accused were involved in identifying people to radicalize, recruit them into terrorist ranks, and arrange logistics for procuring arms and ammunition.
The Centre banned Jamaat-e-Islami in 2019 for alleged terror links, leading to arrests of its leaders and ongoing security crackdowns to dismantle its network across Jammu and Kashmir. JeI is a decades-old Islamic movement that once ran schools, charities, and welfare institutions across the region. The government accused JeI of supporting militant groups, a charge the organization has repeatedly denied.
These operations form a crucial part of the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s sustained preventive strategy aimed at dismantling the terror-separatist ecosystem, cutting off its ideological, financial, and logistical networks, and ensuring that peace and normalcy remain undisturbed. Security has been tightened across Jammu and Kashmir, with intensified vehicle checks and surprise CASOs.
