Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA) on Saturday seized a house in the Barzulla area here which was registered in the name of late separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, officials said.

They said the property was believed to have been purchased in the late 1990s by Jamat-e-Islami (JeI) and was registered in Geelani’s name who used to live there till early 2000 when he shifted to the Hyderpora area of the city.

Geelani died in September last year.

The property was later used as the residence of ‘Ameer’ (chief) of the JeI, the officials said.

The SIA also seized another residential house in the same area, they said.

They said the SIA’s action is part of the seizure of several properties belonging to the JeI, which is a banned organisation.

The SIA has identified as many as 188 JeI properties across the UT which have either been notified or are under the process of being notified for further legal action, the officials said.

These are a result of investigation of case FIR number 17 of 2019 U/S 10, 11 and 13 of Police Station Batmaloo being investigated by the agency, they said.

The move is aimed at choking the availability of funds for secessionist activities and to dismantle the ecosystem of anti-national elements and terror networks hostile to India’s sovereignty, the officials said.

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