Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 18: Attaching of property worth Rs five-crore by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday once again exposed the dubious rule of Hurriyal leaders who cheated innocent Kashmiri people.
On Wednesday ED attached properties worth Rs. five crores under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in the case of Mohammad Akbar Bhat and others in relation to terrorist activities.
This case was related to funding terror groups by selling MBBS and other professional seats of Pakistan-based colleges. The attached properties in the form of seven immovable properties and two bank accounts are in the name of various persons namely Mohammad Akbar Bhat, Fatima Shah, Qazi Yasir, Mohammad Abdullah Shah, and Mohammad Iqbal Mir, and others situated in Jammu and Kashmir.
The scam of selling medical seats in different colleges in Pakistan was exposed in 2021 when Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested six persons.
As per police on average, the cost of a seat ranged between Rs 10 to Rs 12 lakhs. In some cases, the price was brought down after the intervention of the Hurriyat leaders. Money earned through selling MBSS seats was utilized to fund terror activities.
Every year over 100 students from Kashmir Valley go to Pakistan for higher studies, The scam of selling medical seats in different Pak colleges was exposed in 2021.
On average, the cost of a seat ranged between Rs 10 to Rs 12 lakhs.
Money earned through selling MBSS seats was utilized to fund terror activities.
A estimate indicated that the money involved was around Rs. 4 crores per annum.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had unearthed the scam between students, Pakistan High Commission officials, and separatists of Kashmir Valley.
The NIA had termed admissions of students from Jammu and Kashmir to medical institutions in Pakistan on the recommendations of separatists as an “alternative mechanism” of terror funding in the Valley.
Police said during the investigation, it was established that the money collected from the parents of the aspiring or potential students was used to support and fund terrorism and separatism in different ways.
According to police, the average cost of a seat ranged between Rs 10 to Rs 12 lakhs. In some cases, the price was brought down after the intervention of the Hurriyat leaders.
Based on available evidence, a conservative estimate indicated that the money involved could be around Rs. 4 crores per annum. Every year minimum of 40 MBBS seats were allocated to Hurriyat leaders for selling.
The investigation has also revealed that both at the time of collecting the money from the parents as well as channeling it for use by terrorists and separatists, intermediaries were used to hide the transactions. For example, in some cases, money was received through educational consultancies to conceal the end-use. | 