J&K police's SIA raids multiple locations in Kashmir in UAPA case

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Wednesday carried out extensive searches at multiple locations across the Valley as part of its investigation into a case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

SIA teams conducted raids in Anantnag and Kulgam districts in south Kashmir while in north Kashmir searches were carried out in Rafiabad and Sopore areas of Baramulla, an official said.

Incriminating documents and materials were seized during the searches, which are now being examined for their relevance to the ongoing probe.

The case pertains to activities allegedly linked to terror financing and support networks in the region.

Under the UAPA, agencies are empowered to detain suspects for extended periods, file chargesheets within 180 days of arrest, and seek enhanced punishment—including life imprisonment or even the death penalty—for those found guilty of terror-related offenses.

The SIA was established by the Jammu and Kashmir administration in 2021 to serve as the Union Territory’s premier counter-terror investigation unit, mirroring the mandate of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Tasked with probing cases of terrorism, terror financing, and subversive activities, the SIA has emerged as a crucial component of the government’s multi-pronged counterterrorism strategy.

In the last three years, SIA has led high-profile investigations involving separatist financing, cross-border terror logistics, and the revival of banned outfits under new fronts. The agency often works in coordination with the NIA and central intelligence bodies to disrupt networks that sustain militancy in the Valley.

Earlier since 2017, the National Investigation Agency made major inroads into Jammu and Kashmir’s terror ecosystem, when it cracked down on a web of separatist leaders, hawala traders, and stone-pelting networks allegedly financed by Pakistan-based handlers.

The NIA’s investigation into terror funding in 2017 and 2018 led to multiple arrests, seizures of large sums of money, and the freezing of assets linked to proscribed organisations such as the Hurriyat Conference.

Since then, NIA raids have become a recurring feature in Kashmir’s security landscape, targeting individuals suspected of aiding terrorism, radicalisation, or digital propaganda.

These investigations - often followed by parallel SIA probes - have led to a visible shrinking of the separatist space and a reduction in open militant recruitment drives.

Officials credit the coordinated actions of the NIA and SIA with dismantling financial and ideological networks that once fuelled street protests and insurgency.

Both agencies have brought dozens of key operatives, including former militants and overground workers, under the scanner, while seizing properties and freezing bank accounts linked to terror cases.

The raids on Wednesday underscore how Kashmir’s counterterrorism operations have evolved from gun battles to forensic financial and digital probes.