NIA Court Attaches Property of US-Based Separatist Dr Fai in Budgam
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Budgam has ordered the attachment of immovable property belonging to US-based Kashmiri separatist Ghulam Nabi Shah, alias Dr Fai, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The directive comes nearly eight months after he was declared a proclaimed offender for failing to appear before investigators in a terror-related case.
Court Directs Seizure of Land
The court has instructed the District Collector, Budgam, to take immediate possession of land owned by the accused in Wadwan and Chattabugh villages. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Budgam, has been directed to provide necessary assistance to ensure compliance with the order.
The attachment pertains to FIR No. 46 of 2020, registered at Police Station Budgam under Sections 10, 13, and 39 of the UAPA. The court issued the order after Dr Fai repeatedly failed to appear before the investigating agency despite multiple proclamation notices.
Declared Proclaimed Offender
Dr Fai was declared a proclaimed offender on April 26 this year by the Special Judge, NIA Court, Budgam. A native of Wadwan village in Budgam, he currently resides in the United States.
Despite the issuance of arrest warrants, he has persistently evaded arrest, obstructing legal proceedings. Following his failure to appear in court even after repeated notices in the terror-related case, he was declared a proclaimed offender under the UAPA, 1967. The court had earlier directed him to surrender before the Jammu and Kashmir Police within 30 days of the proclamation.
Who is Ghulam Nabi Fai?
Ghulam Nabi Fai, founder of the Washington-based Kashmir American Council (KAC), hails from Wadwan village in Budgam district. He left India in the early 1980s for higher studies and obtained US citizenship in 1990.
Investigating agencies have alleged that the Kashmir American Council is backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and has been used to promote Pakistan’s narrative on Kashmir at international forums.
According to police records, Fai is currently in hiding in the United States, continuously evading arrest and obstructing justice. The case against him was registered under Sections 10, 13, and 39 of the UAPA, which pertain to membership of an unlawful association, punishment for unlawful activities, and providing support to a terrorist organization.
The 77-year-old Fai also serves as Secretary General of the Washington-based World Kashmir Awareness Forum and Chairman of the World Forum for Peace & Justice.
Crackdown on Fai’s Network
On November 10 this year, Budgam Police conducted a major crackdown on Fai’s network as part of sustained efforts to dismantle separatist networks and Pakistan-backed terror ecosystems. Multiple search operations were carried out at various locations linked to his associates to disrupt and neutralize his support structure.
Officials stated that the action aimed to cut off the financial, logistical, and ideological support extended by the accused to separatist and terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
