The J&K Administration has declared south Kashmir-based Darul uloom Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom as an unlawful entity under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The order issued by the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir on March 24 has cited alleged links of the institute with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami and concerns over activities prejudicial to national security.
The action follows a dossier submitted by Senior Superintendent of Police Shopian on March 24, 2026.
“The records so produced have been carefully examined and duly considered; and upon perusal of the material on record, it has emerged that the said institution, though ostensibly functioning as a religious educational establishment, is marred by serious legal, administrative, and financial irregularities, including questionable land acquisition, lack of mandatory registration with competent authorities, and deliberate attempts to evade statutory oversight,” the order issued by the Divsional Commissioner read.
The order also cited “credible inputs” indicating sustained and covert links with Jamaat-e-Islami, banned by the government of India in 2019, with affiliated individuals allegedly exercising de facto control over key administrative and academic positions.
The order further points to financial opacity, including suspicious handling of funds and changes in financial control structures, raising concerns over possible diversion or misuse of resources.
Security agencies reported that the institution fostered an environment conducive to radicalisation, with several former students found involved in militant activities and acts “prejudicial to national security, thereby suggesting misuse of the institution for purposes detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.”
Invoking Section 8(1) of the UAPA, the Divisional Commissioner said there were sufficient grounds to believe the premises were being used for the purposes of an unlawful association. The notification enables authorities to seal the premises and freeze financial assets.
The order said due process was followed, with a show-cause notice issued on March 31 to the institute.
Objections filed by the institution’s chairman were rejected as “misconceived and devoid of legal merit” following further verification by SSP Shopian.
Officials said the action is preventive in nature and aimed at curbing misuse of the institution for unlawful activities.
Jamia Siraj-ul-Uloom was established as an all-boys middle school in Hillow village of Shopian’s Imam Sahib area on land belonging to Sufi saint Peer Gul Mohammad, later vested in the Siraj-ul-Uloom Educational Society formed in 1992. The institution began functioning in 2000 and subsequently expanded from a middle school to a high school, then a higher secondary, and to a college later. The institution in the past has denied any affiliation with Jamaat-e-Islami.
