Hizbul chief's sons among 11 employees terminated by J&K government

They were dismissed under Article 311 of the Indian Constitution under which no inquiry is held

Two sons of Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudin were among 11 employees dismissed by Jammu and Kashmir government for their alleged involvement in “anti-national” and “terrorist-related” activities.

Sources said the designated committee in J&K for scrutinising and recommending cases under Article 311(2) (c) of the Constitution of India, recommended a total of 11 cases for their dismissal from the government service.

They include Shakeel Yousuf Shah, a lab assistant at tertiary-care SKIMS hospital in Srinagar and Shahid Yousuf Shah, extension agriculture officer in Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) for their involvement in alleged terror funding to wage war against India.

Both Shakeel and Shahid were arrested in 2017 and 2020 respectively by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in terror funding cases. A policeman, Rashid Shigan, who was allegedly involved in militant activities, has also been terminated from his service.

Four employees working in the School Education department were dismissed from service.

Earlier on May 20, tainted deputy superintendent of J&K police Davinder Singh, who was chargesheeted by the NIA for providing support to Hizbul militant outfit, was dismissed.

Before that, the LG administration had terminated the services of three government employees, including a Naib tehsildar, an assistant professor and a school teacher after a panel identified them as being involved in ‘anti-national’ activities.

In April, the J&K government had announced the formation of a Special Task Force (STF) to bring under the scanner government employees allegedly involved in ‘anti-national’ activity. The STF has been empowered to compile records of such employees and refer it to the committee constituted on July 30 last year.

There were complaints that government employees, who were allegedly involved in anti-national activities during street protests, instigating people against security forces were neither booked nor FIRs allowed to be filed against them by political governments.

In July last year taking note of the situation, the J&K government constituted a panel to scrutinise and recommend cases for dismissal of their services. Sources said social media activities of the employees, even under a fake identity, would also fall in the category of anti-national activities.