Sajad Gul's Family Fortune Seized: Srinagar Police Crush LeT Terrorist's Rs.2 Cr Empire

In a decisive move against terror financing, Srinagar Police on Saturday attached a lavish three-storey residential house worth over ₹2 crore, belonging to the family of a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist—signalling an unrelenting crackdown on terror support networks.

The property, spread over 15 marlas of prime land (Survey No. 43 min, Estate Khushipora) at Rose Avenue in the upscale HMT area, is registered to Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh, father of designated terrorist Sajad Ahmad Sheikh, also known as Sajad Gul.

Investigators say the asset is not an innocent family inheritance but is tainted by Gul’s deep involvement in LeT’s operations, including recruitment drives and cross-border funding rackets.

“The house, once a hub for clandestine meetings and propaganda operations, now stands sealed as a stark symbol of terror’s crumbling empire,” said a neighbour, speaking anonymously.

The attachment was carried out under Section 25 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), following FIR No. 235/2022 at Parimpora Police Station. Charges were invoked under Sections 13, 38, and 20 of the UAPA, along with the Explosive Substances Act. A team of officers, supported by an executive magistrate, sealed the site on Saturday.

Born on 10 October 1974 in Rose Avenue Colony, Gul fled to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir around 2019 and became a commander of LeT. He was designated a terrorist by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs on 20 April 2022, with a ₹10 lakh bounty on his head.

Gul, 51, is also the founder and chief of The Resistance Front (TRF), and is reportedly involved in arms smuggling and digital propaganda.

On 14 June 2018, Gul allegedly orchestrated the assassination of senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari and his two personal security officers in Srinagar’s Press Enclave—a hit carried out by LeT gunmen on motorbikes.

Sources link Gul to multiple terror incidents, including the 22 April Pahalgam massacre where 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were killed; the 2021 murder of a Kashmiri Pandit in Anantnag; a 2022 IED blast near a CRPF camp in Srinagar that injured eight personnel; and a failed infiltration attempt in Kupwara that resulted in the deaths of three soldiers.

“Gul’s not just a keyboard warrior pumping out ‘jihad’ reels on handles like ‘Kashmir Fight’—he’s the logistics kingpin wiring terror dollars for grenades and ghosts,” a senior Jammu and Kashmir Police officer told Republic TV, speaking anonymously.

Saturday’s action is part of a broader offensive by Srinagar Police to choke terror lifelines. Since 2023, over a dozen properties worth crores have been seized in the district, targeting drug peddlers funding terror and safe houses for overground workers.

As the Valley moves towards normalcy following the abrogation of Article 370, such actions reflect a zero-tolerance policy. “We’re committed to intensifying our investigations and urge the public to report any suspicious activity,” the officer added. “Peace is our shield, law our sword. Terror’s days are numbered.”