Srinagar, Feb 15, KDC: In a second such move after the elected government took over, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha led administration on Saturday terminated three government employees, including a police constable, a teacher, and a forest department orderly, for their alleged involvement with “terrorist organizations.”
The action, taken under Article 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution of India, as per officials privy to the matter, follows extensive investigations by law enforcement and intelligence agencies, which uncovered their “deep-rooted connections to terror outfits.”
The decision has invited sharp reactions from political leaders, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah advocating for due process and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti decrying the move as “arbitrary.” Meanwhile, Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned the terminations, calling them “authoritarian.”
Firdous Ahmad Bhat, a constable with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, is accused of “betraying” the very force he was sworn to protect. Bhat, who joined as a Special Police Officer (SPO) in 2005 and was confirmed as a constable in 2011, was posted in the sensitive Electronic Surveillance Unit of the J&K Police. However, as per officials, investigations reveal that he allegedly used his position to aid “terror outfits” like Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM).
According to top security sources, Bhat’s alleged involvement came to light after the arrest of two “terrorists,” Waseem Shah and Adnan Beigh, in Anantnag with pistols and hand grenades. “Bhat had allegedly tasked two other LeT terrorists, Omas and Aquib, to supply arms and ammunition to Shah and Beigh for carrying out attacks on non-local civilians and tourists in Anantnag,” a senior intelligence official disclosed to Srinagar based news gathering agency Kashmir Dot Com.
During the investigation, a “sizable quantity of arms, ammunition, explosives, and narcotics” was reportedly recovered from Bhat’s residences in Srinagar and Anantnag. “Bhat is accused of providing classified information about security forces’ movements, guiding terror attacks, and even targeting his own colleagues. In 2020, he allegedly guided LeT terrorists in the killing of J&K Police Sub-Inspector Ashraf Bhat,” the official added.
Bhat’s alleged “betrayal” extended to “radicalizing youth” and using his police cover to transport arms and explosives for “terrorists.” “He was not just a mole within the system; he was actively working to destabilize it,” the official said.
Nisar Ahmad Khan, an orderly in the forest department, is accused of having a “long history of collaboration” with the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). According to “security officials,” his alleged links first surfaced in 2000 when he was accused of providing logistical support for a landmine blast in Chamaran, Anantnag, which killed then J&K Power Minister Ghulam Hasan Bhat and two police personnel.
“Despite being arrested and chargesheeted, Khan was acquitted in 2006 due to witnesses backtracking and an intimidating environment inside and outside the courts,” a senior security official said. However, Khan allegedly continued his activities, playing a “central role” in mobilizing “violent protests and stone-pelting” during the 2016 unrest following the killing of HM “terrorist” Burhan Wani.
Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, a teacher from Reasi, is accused of using his position to “radicalize youth” and facilitate “terror activities” for Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). Appointed under the Rehbar-e-Taleem scheme in 2008 and regularized in 2013, Bhat allegedly became an “overground worker” for LeT, helping the outfit raise finances, transport arms, and deliver “threat letters” to targeted individuals.
“As a teacher, Bhat was best placed to radicalize youth and carry out terror activities under the cover of a respectable profession,” a senior intelligence officer revealed. Bhat was arrested in 2022 and is currently lodged in District Jail, Reasi, where he is accused of continuing to “radicalize inmates” and communicate with his handlers in Pakistan through aides.
The termination orders came a day after a high-level security review meeting chaired by the Lieutenant Governor, where he directed police and security agencies to intensify anti-terror operations and neutralize terrorists and their support networks.
The termination of the three employees has drawn mixed reactions from political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stressed the importance of due process, stating, “As per the law of the land, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. If there is evidence against them and they fail to justify themselves when given a chance, then the action is justified.” However, he cautioned that any decision made without allowing them to defend themselves would be unfair.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti strongly condemned the dismissals, calling them “arbitrary.” “Arbitrary & summary dismissals of government employees have become a daily occurrence since 2019. What is most surprising & puzzling is that it continues unabated despite an elected government in power that had promised to put an end to such practices,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also criticized the move, terming it “authoritarian.” In a post on X, he wrote, “The termination of three more state employees in such an authoritarian manner is highly condemnable. Do the rulers want to remove all Kashmiris slowly and steadily from government services and render them jobless?” He urged elected representatives to take up the issue urgently and stop what he called “harassment.”
The L-G’s administration in J&K has terminated the services of at least 63 employees under the provisions of Article 311 since 2020. These employees were allegedly involved in “militancy” in J&K, according to reports by “security agencies.” (KDC)
