Srinagar- Authorities in Kashmir have initiated a process of profiling mosques, madrassas, and individuals associated with the management of these religious institutions following the busting of a “white collar” terror module last year, PTI reported, quoting officials.
As part of the exercise, a detailed proforma has been distributed among village numberdars, village level revenue department employees, to collect information about mosques, madrassas, imams, teachers, and members of management committees.
Officials said the enumeration drive is focused primarily on the finances of mosques and madrassas, including sources of funding used for construction and for meeting day to day expenses.
In addition to institutional details, the proforma seeks extensive personal information from imams and madrassa teachers. This includes Aadhaar details, bank accounts, property ownership, passport information, social media handles, SIM card details, mobile phone model and IMEI numbers, ATM cards, ration cards, and driving licences.
A senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told PTI that one of the key objectives of the exercise is to create a comprehensive database of mosques, madrassas, and individuals linked to their functioning.
“During the investigation into the white collar terror module busted in November last year, it emerged that some suspects were radicalised through madrassas or via social media. The role of certain imams, including Moulvi Irfan, also came under scrutiny,” the official said.
The proforma also requires details about the religious sect followed by the mosque or madrassa, including Barelvi, Deobandi, Hanafi, or Ahle Hadeeth.
Officials said the growing influence of puritanical interpretations of Islam, which are seen as diverging from the Sufi traditions historically prevalent in Kashmir, is viewed as a contributing factor in the radicalisation of some youth in the Valley.
Imams, teachers, and management committee members have further been asked to disclose any past involvement in terrorist or subversive activities, including information on pending cases or convictions, if any.
The profiling exercise follows a major crackdown by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, assisted by police forces in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, which led to the busting of an inter state “white collar” terror module in the first week of November last year.
Nine people, including three doctors, were arrested during the operation, and nearly 2,900 kilograms of explosives were seized. Investigators said the module had links with Jaish e Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat ul Hind and operated across Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Among those arrested were Dr Adeel Rather in Saharanpur, Dr Muzammil Ganaie in Faridabad, and Dr Shaheen in Lucknow.
The seized material included ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and sulphur. Police said around 360 kilograms of highly inflammable material, suspected to be ammonium nitrate, along with arms and ammunition, were recovered from a rented accommodation used by Ganaie in Faridabad.
Another accused, Dr Umer Nabi, was driving an explosive laden vehicle that exploded outside the Red Fort Metro station in Delhi on November 10.
Ganaie, who was working as a teacher at Al Falah University in Haryana’s Faridabad district, was arrested after Jammu and Kashmir Police named him as a wanted accused in a case related to posters supporting Jaish e Mohammed in Srinagar.
On October 19, multiple posters threatening police and security forces were found pasted in the Bunpora Nowgam area of Srinagar, which officials said marked the starting point of the investigation that eventually exposed the inter state terror network.
Police said the probe revealed a well organised terror ecosystem involving radicalised professionals and students who were in contact with foreign handlers operating from Pakistan and other countries.
