LG Manoj Sinha’s clean-up drive continues: Two more employees sacked over alleged terror links in Jammu and Kashmir

A Class-IV employee in the Education Department in Ramban and a Rural Development Department worker from Bandipora have been dismissed

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday dismissed two government employees over alleged terror links, stepping up its sustained crackdown on terrorist operatives within the system under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s “zero-tolerance” policy.

The action, taken under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution, targeted Farhat Ali Khanday, a Class-IV employee in the Education Department in Ramban, and Mohammad Shafi Dar, a Rural Development Department worker from Bandipora.

Officials said Khanday was linked to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and had been under scrutiny since 2011 in connection with a hawala funding network. Despite earlier arrest and bail, he allegedly continued to facilitate terror financing and recruitment while in government service.

Dar was allegedly associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba and functioned as an overground worker, providing shelter, logistics and intelligence on security force movements. He was arrested in April 2025 with arms and ammunition during a checkpoint operation, officials said.

The dismissals are part of a wider campaign launched in 2021, when the LG administration began invoking Article 311(2)(c) more assertively to act against employees flagged by intelligence agencies.

Since then, over 90 government employees across departments have been terminated over alleged terror links.

Among the high-profile cases were the dismissal of two sons of Syed Salahuddin, who heads the United Jihad Council and is reportedly based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

In another prominent case, a civil service officer, wife of Farooq Ahmed Dar— a commander of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front — was removed from service over alleged links flagged by security agencies.

The crackdown has also extended to academia, including professors from the University of Kashmir who were dismissed over alleged terror financing links, alongside cases involving police personnel, prison staff, and revenue officials accused of aiding militant networks.

Officials maintain that most of those dismissed acted as overground workers, enabling militant operations through logistics, funding and intelligence rather than direct combat roles.

While concerns over due process remain, the sustained action is increasingly being seen within official circles as part of a broader security consolidation.

Authorities point to a relatively improved ground situation in recent years, attributing it in part to a firm approach against terror ecosystems by the LG administration, including the dismantling of insider networks within government institutions.

Officials indicate the campaign will continue, with further action likely against suspected operatives embedded within the system.