In a significant development, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has seized eight properties linked to two prominent Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives. The action is part of a case dating back to 2018, where the individuals orchestrated a deadly attack on a police party in a Srinagar hospital to facilitate the escape of a LeT terrorist.
The attached properties, five of which belong to Mohd Shafi Wani and three to Mohd Tikka Khan, residents of Singoo Narbal in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, have been provisionally seized under Section 33(1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The move is a strong stance against terrorist organizations and operatives in the Kashmir region, reflecting the NIA’s commitment to curbing such activities.
Among the confiscated assets are various plots of land, including Shafi’s residential house. Both Wani and Khan, identified as overground workers of LeT, were apprehended on February 8, 2018, possessing weapons. Charged on August 3, 2018, they are currently undergoing trial under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, Arms Act 1959, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967.
The case revolves around the attack on a police party escorting LeT terrorist Naveed Jatt alias Abu Hanzla to Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital Srinagar in 2018. The accused, on orders from their Pakistan-based LeT Commanders, attacked the police escort, leading to the escape of Jatt. However, Jatt met his demise in an encounter with security forces later that year.
