Bandipora, Oct 24 (NVI): Bandipora Police have arrested six people for their alleged links with the banned organisation Ittihad-ul-Muslimeen and are probing suspected cross-border funding and a network allegedly involved in separatist propaganda, officials said on Saturday.
A case has been registered under Sections 10 and 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) at Bandipora police station under FIR No. 168/2026, police said.
According to police, the investigation began with Waheed Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Handwara in Kupwara district, who was earlier arrested in a UAPA case following a conference held in 2022.
During his stay in Kupwara jail, Bhat allegedly re-established contact with a Pakistan-based handler identified as Manzoor Ahmad Shah, police claimed.
The alleged network subsequently focused on propagating its ideology and organising meetings to garner support, with the involvement of women also being investigated, police said.
After Bhat was released on medical grounds in August 2024, around 14 to 15 secret meetings were allegedly held in Bandipora and adjoining areas. Of these, five to six meetings were reportedly organised at a small hotel along the Bandipora-Baramulla route, they said.
During the investigation, police also traced suspected financial transactions and estimated that around Rs 7-8 lakh had been transferred to the alleged network over a period of more than a year.
Of this amount, approximately Rs 2.26 lakh was allegedly credited to the bank account of Mubeena Banoo, a resident of Dachigam in Bandipora, while the remaining funds were reportedly transferred through cash couriers, police said.
A portion of the money was allegedly distributed among associates, while some funds were used for Bhat’s medical treatment, they added.
The six arrested persons have been identified as Mubeena Banoo, Waheed Ahmad Bhat, Kushboo Jan, Mehak Jan, Aliya Jan and Irfan Ahmed Reshi alias Rayees, police said.
Police said the role of some other persons, including a religious cleric and two alleged couriers from Kupwara, had also emerged during the investigation. Their suspected involvement and the financial trail are being verified, they added.
Further investigation is underway to establish the full extent of the alleged network, its funding channels and the individual roles of those suspected to be involved, police said.
The allegations are under investigation and remain subject to judicial determination.—(NVI)
