According to sources, the Jammu and Kashmir Police charged a Jaish-e-Muhammad terror cell on Monday for attempting to sabotage calm and tranquillity in the Union Territory before a special NIA court here.
According to a police spokeswoman, Abdul Rehman, a native of Momin Zafarwal village in the Narowal district of Pakistan, and his three friends were charged with terror by the J&K Police’s Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) unit.
The associates were identified as Waseem Ferooz from Karimaabad in Pulwama, Sheikh Najmu Saqib from Ganastan Sumbal in Bandipora, and Junaid-ul-Islam, a resident of Sail Awantipora in Pulwama.
According to the spokesman, charges against two minors were also brought before the Court of a Special Judge Designated under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Srinagar. The case was lodged under several provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code.
Credible information about Rehman and associates based in Kashmir attempting to carry out terror acts to disturb the peace and tranquilly existing in the Union Territory with the ulterior motive of challenging the sovereignty and integrity of India led to the case being registered at a Counter Intelligence Kashmir Police Station, he said.
According to the spokesman, Rehman and his friends in Kashmir were using covert communication applications to avoid discovery and maintain the privacy and secrecy of their activities. Rehman goes under various names, including Riyaz, Umar, Jigar, Ashfaq, and Luqman.
An inquiry was started to get a reasonable conclusion about the matter for judicial determination.
According to the spokesperson, the investigation showed that a Pakistani terrorist handler working with the ISI had established a group of overground workers (OGWs) and given them instructions via various secret encrypted messaging services to encourage young people to take up arms against Indian sovereignty.
According to him, the accused mainly used other social networking apps and encrypted internet messaging services to communicate and get orders from handlers on the other side of the border.
The spokesperson stated that the same goal was to radicalise and entice young people away from peacekeeping activities, use them as messengers of weapons, ammunition, and psychoactive substances, recruit more young people into the ranks of terrorists, and carry out terrorist acts throughout the valley with the ultimate goal of upsetting the status quo.
The representative claimed that all of this was accomplished by abusing social media while remaining anonymous and secretive.
The spokesperson said that the handler, who was detained in Pakistan along with other accused individuals, was persistently trying to develop new terror modules through a range of techniques, such as incitement, enticement, and occasionally combined with implied coercion to act as logistics and terror agents to further terrorist and illegal activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to him, the investigation revealed that several young people had not expressed interest in working as OGWs or in further radicalising the valley’s youth after reading and seeing the seditious materials that the handlers had supplied them.
The spokesman claimed that in addition to money and glitter in this world, teenagers are also drawn to the prospect of rewards in paradise after achieving martyrdom.
As a result, he said, a call is made to the youth of the Kashmir Valley and their parents to monitor their children closely. Young people should also exercise caution so as not to fall prey to such incitements.
The spokesman stated that following extensive investigations, the case against the four accused—including the terror handler with a base in Pakistan—has been proven and that section 299 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) has been activated.
In summary, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have charged a Jaish-e-Muhammad terror cell, led by Abdul Rehman and associates, for attempting to disrupt peace in the Union Territory. The investigation revealed a Pakistani handler’s involvement, using encrypted messaging to radicalize and manipulate youth to carry out terrorist acts. Social media played a significant role in maintaining secrecy. The case highlights the ongoing threat of terrorism, emphasizing the importance of vigilance and cooperation to safeguard the region’s peace and security. Charges have been activated under Section 299 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.