Combating misuse of NPOs for terror financing: J&K Police, MHA organise outreach programme

Srinagar: The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police Wednesday organised a one-day outreach programme on combating the misuse of vulnerable Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) for terror financing at the Police Control Room (PCR) Kashmir jointly with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.

The purpose behind the programme was to create awareness among the office bearers of different NPOs of Kashmir valley against their potential misuse for terror financing by various terrorist organisations based in J&K or elsewhere as has been observed in some cases in the recent past.

About 50 functionaries of different Kashmir-based NPOs participated in the programme, which was co-chaired by JDD MHA New Delhi, Omprakash Singh, and SSP (FIU) CID Headquarters J&K, Farooq Qaiser, in which experts from MHA, New Delhi interacted with the participants over a wide range of topics including FATF provisions vis-à-vis NPOs, Income Tax provisions related to charitable organisations, and misuse of NPOs for terror financing.

Besides, they also gave presentations containing case studies on the subject to the participants who were highly appreciative of the entire exercise.

The participants also put forth their doubts and queries which were duly addressed.

Such programmes, which were earlier held in J&K as part of the ongoing process, are for the first time being held by J&K Police jointly with the MHA.

Special Director General CID J&K, R R Swain said a similar programme for Jammu-based NPOs would be held at District Police Line Jammu on October 20.

Inspector General of Police, (CID), J&K, Nitish Kumar, said that the NGOs were doing a commendable job on various social and developmental fronts in Kashmir.

“However, they need to be extra cautious and vigilant so that unscrupulous elements don’t misuse their platforms for illegal purposes like terrorist financing and human trafficking,” he said.

SSP (FIU) CID Headquarters J&K presented the vote of thanks on the occasion.