Srinagar Police Reclaim Land, Dismantle Narco-Funded Structure in Valley Crackdown

Srinagar: In Srinagar’s Rainawari, authorities on Thursday demolished a three-storey residential structure worth nearly Rs 2 crore, declaring it an illegal construction raised on encroached land and financed through drug trafficking proceeds under the Nasha Mukt Jammu and Kashmir Abhiyaan.

The property belonged to Sheikh Tasaduq, a peddler facing multiple NDPS cases in Awantipora and Budgam. Police confirmed his spouse, Sheikh Maroofa, is also implicated in a narcotics case registered in Pulwama.

The demolition was jointly executed by Srinagar Police and the Revenue Department at Mumkhan Mohalla. Investigations established that the building was erected on state land and funded through illicit narcotics trade.

Officials said the action not only dismantled an illegally acquired asset but also reclaimed valuable government land worth crores. They emphasized that the demolition followed due legal process and was carried out in the presence of revenue authorities.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir has intensified its sweeping crackdown on narco-terrorism. Hundreds of arrests have been made, and properties worth crores attached.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has repeatedly warned of stringent legal action against traffickers. “Whether an official or anyone in public life, if they are connected to the drug network, they will face strict consequences,” he said, stressing that narcotics proceeds fuel terrorism, divert youth from progress, and destabilize society.

The demolition in Rainawari is seen as part of this broader campaign to strike at the financial infrastructure of drug networks. By targeting assets acquired through illicit trade, authorities aim to choke the economic lifelines of traffickers and reclaim public land from unlawful occupation.

“Drug money has devastated families across our community, and this demolition proves the authorities are serious about uprooting the menace. It is not just about one building; it is about reclaiming land that rightfully belongs to the people, not criminals,” said Shazia, a schoolteacher from the summer capital.

Officials described the action as a significant blow to narco-terrorism in the Valley, underscoring that dismantling illegally acquired assets sends a strong message: crime cannot buy legitimacy.

The crackdown, they said, is designed not only to punish offenders but also to safeguard society from the destabilizing influence of narcotics.