Property Attachment in IIOJK: A Tool of Suppression and Demographic Change

In a troubling escalation of state-backed repression, Indian authorities continue to seize property in IIOJK, deepening the region’s humanitarian and political crisis.

In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the New Delhi-imposed administration has intensified its crackdown on the local population by confiscating properties owned by Kashmiri civilians. Acting under the authority of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, this latest action is seen as part of a broader campaign to dispossess indigenous Kashmiris.

In the most recent incidents, properties were seized in the Pulwama and Baramulla districts. One of the victims, Owais Feroze Mir, had a plot of land measuring 2 marlas and 79 square feet taken from him in the Frestabal area of Pampore. Indian authorities allege that Mir is linked to a case under the harsh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)—a controversial law often accused of being misused to suppress dissent and target civilians.

The operation was carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in coordination with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and local law enforcement. Critics argue that these agencies are being weaponized to further New Delhi’s repressive policies in the region.

In a separate action in Baramulla district, Indian forces attached 29 marlas of land belonging to three other Kashmiris: Arshid Ahmad Teli of Nowpora Tujjar, and Firdous Ahmad Dar and Nazir Ahmad Dar, both from the Harwan area of Sopore. Authorities linked this seizure to another dubious case registered at Sopore Police Station, further demonstrating a trend of using fabricated charges to justify property confiscation.

These actions are part of a larger campaign launched after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status on August 5, 2019. Since then, the Modi-led regime has dramatically escalated its use of land seizures and legal repression to silence pro-freedom voices and destabilize the region’s social fabric.

Observers and rights activists argue that these policies are consistent with a Hindutva-driven settler-colonial strategy, designed to marginalize the native Kashmiri population, undermine their economic stability, and reshape the region’s demographic character. By leveraging laws like the UAPA and registering sham FIRs, the administration aims to erase dissent and exert total control.

The use of state power to confiscate private property without fair legal process is being widely condemned by human rights defenders, who view these actions as clear violations of both domestic and international law.