23 terrorists operating from PoK declared proclaimed offenders

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, January 1

A court in Jammu and Kashmir has declared 23 terrorists, who belong to Kishtwar district and are operating from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as proclaimed offenders. Properties of these ultras are being identified and will be attached in case they fail to surrender before the court.

Authorities to attach properties in Kishtwar

• The process to attach properties of the terrorists, who belong to Kishtwar and are operating from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), will be initiated if they fail to surrender before court
• The authorities have identified properties of 19 terrorists of the total 36 who are fomenting trouble in the state from PoK
• The police have got information that these ultras are trying to revive terrorism in Kishtwar and Doda by recruiting local youths

The UAPA special court based in Doda district declared these terrorists as proclaimed offenders after the police informed that they were operating from PoK. Earlier, 13 other terrorists from the district were declared as proclaimed offenders. There are total 36 terrorists from Kishtwar

who had fled to PoK and

have been since operating from there.

The police have got credible information that these ultras were trying to revive terrorism in Kishtwar and Doda district by recruiting local youths and creating support in the form of over ground workers (OGWs).

Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, Khalil Poswal said the move was attributed to the efforts of the police, which initiated the process by developing crucial intelligence and lodged an FIR under Sections 120-B and 121-A of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 13, 18, and 39 of the UAPA at the Chatroo police station.

The SSP said subsequent to the declaration as the proclaimed offenders, the process of attachment of property would be carried out under Section 83 of the Criminal Procedure Code, if all absconding terrorists don’t surrender before the law within the time frame given by the court.

Properties of 19 terrorists out of total 36 operating from PoK have been identified and process for attachment of the same will be initiated soon. Police teams have already visited the houses of these terrorists and informed their families about the attachment of properties. After revival of terrorism in Rajouri and Poonch district last year, the authorities are leaving no stone unturned to keep ultras at bay in mountainous Doda and Kishtwar district.