Jammu and Kashmir police has arrested slain militant Tawseef Sheikh’s mother Naseema Banoo under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in context to an FIR filed two years back. The police is also been looking for his younger sister who was also named in the FIR.
56-year-old Naseema Banoo was arrested from Kulgam district after the police has raided their place at 4 am on June 20. She has been booked under FIR 30 of 2018 registered under Section 13B, Section 17, Section 18, Section 18B, Section 19, and Section 39 of UAPA.
“The arrested person is involved in a serious criminal case. The photo of the arrested woman in which she is toting an automatic weapon and posing next to her son who was an active militant at the time speaks it all. The photo is just the beginning of her criminal involvement,” said J&K police in a statement.
The police also mentioned her role in recruiting two youths in militant ranks, arranging arms ammunition, communication, and logistics for Militants and terror organizations.
The police officers on Sunday said that the arrest was done in compliance with provisions of law and she has been under legally sanctioned custody in women police station Anantnag ever since her arrest.
Banoo’s family has criticized the J&K police move while questioning the arrest and said they are clueless why the police would take such an action two years after the FIR was filed.
They further stated that they had been summoned and interrogated in 2018 already and were let off by the police. They have claimed that all the allegations are misleading and Banoo’s daughter is absconding from June 20 because she was afraid.
Sheikh’s cousin, Amir Bashir further added, “She told authorities that she had no idea Tawseef would come to meet her or click pictures with her. Her son had come to meet her years after joining militancy. The story ended with clicking that picture and now we are being told they (Naseema and her daughter) are active in militancy. This is not true at all.
Her son Hizbul Mujahideen’s militant commander Tawseef Sheikh was killed by security forces in an encounter in 2018.
The arrest has led to criticism over various social media platforms after which police has issued a threat stating, “Many social media posts have been generated and shared which have twisted the facts of the matter in order to cause disturbance of peace and tranquility. Police has taken cognizance of the matter and anyone trying to instigate others through whatsoever means will be prosecuted.”
