Group asked to act against Govt employees
Identify key persons, investigate fund channels
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 29: Intensifying crackdown on terror financing and related activities in Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today set up an eight-member Multi Disciplinary Terror Monitoring Group, which has been mandated to take coordinated action in all cases related to funding of terrorism. The Group comprised various investigating agencies including Jammu and Kashmir Police, Intelligence Bureau, Central Bureau of Investigations, National Investigating Agency, Central Board of Direct Taxes and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
The setting up of the high-level Group by the Union Home Ministry comes at a time when the Central Government has adopted a tough approach against all those involved in terror financing including the separatists and the investigating agencies have attached the assets of separatist leader Shabir Shah, businessman Zahoor Watali and others in Kashmir.
The Home Ministry has also directed the Terror Monitoring Group to cover Government employees including the teachers, who were providing support to terrorists and their activities including the funding.
There were enough indications that after separatists and businessmen, the Central Government has identified some Government employees, who were actively engaged in facilitating terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir and it was in this context that the Home Ministry has made special mention to the Terror Monitoring Group to act against the employees including teachers. The Group will also act against other sympathizers of the militants.
An official order issued today by the MHA said a total of six agencies will be part of the Terror Monitoring Group, which were already engaged in Jammu and Kashmir to keep strict surveillance over assets and properties of separatists, businessmen, Over Ground Workers of militants and others acquired using the terror related funds.
The Multi disciplinary Terror Monitoring Group will be headed by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), CID of Jammu and Kashmir Police as its Chairman and will comprise an Inspector General of Police from Jammu and Kashmir, Additional Director of IB, J&K, representatives of CBI, NIA, CBDT and CBIC besides any other member co-opted by the Chairman.
“The Terror Monitoring Group has been constituted to ensure synergized and concerted action against terror financing and related activities in the State of Jammu and Kashmir,” the Home Ministry order said.
It said the Group has been mandated to take coordinated action in all registered cases that relate to terror, terror financing and terror related activities and bring them to logical conclusion.
“The Terror Monitoring Group will identify all key persons including leaders of the organizations, who are involved in supporting terrorism in any form and take concerted action against them. It will also investigate the networks of various channels being used to fund terror and terror related activities and take coordinated action to stop flow of such funds,” the Home Ministry order said.
The Ministry has directed the Terror Monitoring Group to take action against hardcore sympathizers amongst the Government employees including teachers etc, who are providing covert or overt support to the activities like terror and terror funding.
The Home Ministry order said the Terror Monitoring Group will meet on weekly basis and submit their Action Taken Report (ATR) regularly.
The Home Ministry order came close on the heels of ban imposed on Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu and Kashmir followed by Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) headed by Yasin Malik. After ban, police had launched crackdown on Jamaat cadre and detained number of their leaders and activists. JKLF chairman Yasin Malik has also been detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
Sources pointed out that constitution of Multi Disciplinary Terror Monitoring Group comprising representatives of six investigating agencies will lead to coordinated action against terror financing and related activities in Jammu and Kashmir, where the Central and State Governments have been going all out to block funding channels of militants to crush the militancy.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs is a part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, which deals with the multiple tasks and is the administrative authority for Custom Houses, Central Excise and Central GST Commissionerates and the Central Revenue Control Laboratory.
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