Multi-Disciplinary Terror Monitoring Group to comprise J&K Police ADG, IB Addl Dir, officers from CBI, CBDT, NIA

In a major initiative to tackle terror, radicalisation, and overground terror activities in Jammu & Kashmir, the Centre on Friday constituted a high-level Multi-Disciplinary Terror Monitoring Group (TMG) comprising a host of Central agencies. The TMG will be tasked to identify, track and stop the nefarious agenda of terror groups and source of their funding.

The TMG will be headed by an Additional Director General of Police, Crime Investigation Department, Jammu & Kashmir Police as Chairman, and will comprise Inspector General of Police, J&K Police, Additional Director, Intelligence Bureau (IB), and representatives of other federal probe agencies.

Representatives of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) will also be members of the TMG aimed to “ensure synergised and concerted action against terror financing and other terror related activities in the State of Jammu & Kashmir.”

The Chairman can co-opt any other member in the TMG.

The terms of reference of the TMG include coordinated action in all terror-related cases, identify key persons, including leaders of the organisation(s) who are involved in supporting terrorism in any form and investigate the networks of various channels being used to fund terror and terror-related activities among others.

The TMG has also been tasked to take action against hardcore sympathisers among Government employees, including teachers or such Government functionaries, who provide covert or overt support to terror activities.

According to the terms of reference of the TMG, the body will meet on a weekly basis and submit their action taken reports regularly.

It is also tasked to “take coordinated action in all registered cases that relate to terror, terror financing and terror related activities and bring them to logical conclusion.”

It further underscored the mandate of the monitoring group “to investigate the networks of various channels being used to fund terror and terror-related activities and take coordinated action to stop flow of such funds.”

The copy of the order along with the terms of reference of the TMG has been forwarded to Security Adviser to the J&K Governor, Director of IB, Director of CBI, Director General of NIA, Chairmen of CBDT and CBIC, Chief Secretary of J&K, Principal Secretary to Governor of J&K and Principal Secretary (Home), J&K. The copy has also been forwarded to Principal Private Secretaries to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Additional Secretary (J&K).

Officials said this is for the first time that terror sympathisers, including those in the State Government and their various agencies, have been brought under the ambit of close monitoring and action by a high-level committee on terror for the Valley.