Srinagar, Mar 02: National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday attached the Srinagar-based property of Mushtaq Zargar Alias Latram, the founder and chief commander of Al-Umar Mujahideen.
NIA Spokesman said in a major offensive against terrorists operating from Pakistan soil, they have attached property of Mushtaq Zargar at Ganai Mohalla, Jamia Masjid, Nowhatta, Srinagar.
Zargar was released along with Masood Azhar, the notorious Jaish-e-Mohammed chief, in exchange of passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines flight 814 (IC 814) at Kandahar in1999.
As per NIA, he was also involved in the kidnapping of former union Home Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s daughter, Rubaiya Sayeed in 1989.
“Zargar’s two Marlas house (Khasra No. 182) at Ganai Mohalla, Jamia Masjid, Nowhatta, Srinagar, has been attached under the provisions of UA(P)A,” the NIA spokesman said.
He said the procedure was carried out by a team of NIA along with the representative of district administration and local police.
Zargar is a ‘Designated Individual Terrorist’ under the UA(P) Act and has been operating from Pakistan ever since his release and has been funding terror activities in the valley.
NIA spokesman said Zargar was earlier associated with Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front and was responsible for several terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
“He has also been involved in other heinous crimes, including murders, and has close association with other terror outfits such, as Al-Qaeda and JeM,” he said.
Zargar was designated a terrorist by the union government under the Fourth Schedule of UAPA. He grew up in Nowhatta area of Srinagar and joined JKLF. In 1989 he was one of the members who kidnapped Rubaiya Sayeed, and negotiated her release in exchange of five terrorists.
He was arrested on May 15, 1992 and was released from jail on December 31, 1999, as part of the Indian Airlines Flight 814 hostage exchange deal.
