Srinagar, June 30: In a first case of its kind in the recent past, the State police Saturday attached house of a political worker of a separatist party, People League (PL), at Chanapora here.
 In its order (No. 1762/2012 dated May 5, 2012) police has cited that the house of Ghulam Muhammad Khan alias Sopori was attached under section 25 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
 Sopori along with his family- three sons, a daughter and wife- staged protests at press colony here terming the police action as “extreme suppressive tactic” by State authorities.
 Sopori told media persons that a police party from Nowgam Police Station along with officials from Revenue and district administration arrived at his house at 12 noon today and asked them to vacate the house. “They said they have orders from higher authorities to seal the house. We have left all our belongings there as we could not arrange for accommodation anywhere,” said Sopori.
 The police order said a case (FIR No. 84/2006 U/S 120 B, 489C, RPC, 7/25 A Act, 40/A ULA (P) Act) was registered against Sopori in Nowgam Police Station. The case was investigated by SDPO West (Srinagar) Shailender Mishra.
 “During the investigation it was found that Sopori was acting as a conduit of banned militant outfit Harkat-e-Jihade-Islami and was providing financial support to banned organization,” said the police order, a copy of which was handed over to the family today.
 “The investigation officer has gathered evidences suggesting that Sopori earned huge amounts acting as conduit and acquired house at Chanapora,” the police order said.
 “On perusal of records I am satisfied that the IO has made a case for seizure of the house and therefore prior approval is accorded for attachment of the house,” said the police order approved by former Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda.
 However the family rubbished the allegations terming them “baseless.” “This is height of injustice by the State Government. My only crime is that I am associated with the separatist political movement and my party for past 50 years. They (Government) tried to break my resolve through different ways but they failed. Now they have turned us homeless,” said Sopori. The PL is a constituent group of Hurriyat Conference (G) led by Syed Ali Geelani.
 Sopori’s two sons are doing job in private companies, his third son is doing business and his daughter is pursuing studies. “This (house) is our own property and it is legally owned by my wife,” said Sopori. “We will contest the case in the court. I have nothing to hide. This house is our only property.”
 Originally hailing from Sopore, the family had moved to Chanapora in 1992. The family said they purchased three marlas of land and constructed the house five years ago. “Our four shops were burnt down in Sopore. When our house was vandalized I decided to move to Srinagar,” Sopori said.
 He said he was many a times arrested by police in the past for his association with separatist movement. “I have spent more than 14 years in jail,” he said. Last time, Sopori was detained under Public Safety Act for two years in 2006, he said.
 This is only the second case in past 22 years in which State authorities have attached or sealed house of any separatist.
 Last time police had sealed a house in downtown area of Safakadal in 2001 when Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) was in vogue in JK.
 Senior Superintendent of Police Srinagar, Ashiq Bukhari said, “Anything which is purchased or made from Hawala money, police has powers to attach it. The house was constructed from Hawala money.”
 Syed Ali Geelani termed the attachment of Sopori’s house has “police highhandedness.”
 “It is a barbaric act. We extend full support to Khan Sahab and his family. Pro-movement people should raise their voice against the police action,” Geelani said.
 He said they would approach the court. “We expect court will provide justice to the family.”
 Meanwhile police today said it attached land property and seized one Santro car belonging to Abdul Razaq Lone of Wagub village, Sopore, and his son Abdul Hamid Lone.
 The property was sealed under section 25 of ULA (P) Act.
 “During investigation it was found that Abdul Majeed Lone, brother of Hamid is a member of banned militant organization Hizbul Mujahideen and is presently based in POK. Majeed had asked Hamid to transfer the value share of his landed property to him through militant channels. Hamid has already handed over three lakh rupees as an installment of the value share of the property of his brother Majeed to the militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba operating in Sopore,” police claimed.
Geelani, others condemn sealing of Sopori’s house
 The Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Saturday strongly condemned the sealing of the house of its Hurriyat leader and Peoples’ League chairman Ghulam Muhammad Khan Sopori at Sopore in north Kashmir by the police, terming it the  worst demonstration of ‘state terrorism and political reprisal’.
 Meanwhile, other resistance leaders including Shabir Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Javid Ahmad Mir, Yasmeen Raja, Muhammad Yousuf Naqash, Muhammad Iqbal Mir, Shabir Ahmad War and Zahoor Ahmad, in a joint statement, have also condemned the sealing of the Sopori’s house and eviction of his family from it, terming the worst example of political reprisal.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 30 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 30 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 1 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST