Jammu and Kashmir government terminates five more employees for 'terror links'

Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) administration led by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday ordered termination of five lower rung government employees under Article 311 for their alleged terror links.

Those terminated include a Manager of Central Cooperative Bank, a police constable, an employee of Rural Development department, a chowkidar in Jal Shakti department and an assistant lineman in Public Health Engineering.

The activities of these employees had come to the adverse notice of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, as they have been found involved in activities prejudicial to the interests of the security of the State, an official spokesperson said.

These employees were dismissed under Article 311 of the Indian Constitution under which no inquiry is held and dismissed employees can only approach a high court for relief.

Article 311 was extended to J&K after abrogation of its special status under Article 370 in August 2019. One of its provisions says that retention of a person in public service, if prejudicial to the security of the state, can be terminated without recourse to normal inquiry.

According to an official spokesperson Afaq Ahmad Wani, Manager of Central Cooperative Bank was part of a narco-terror module and was involved in Case FIR No. 183/2020 U/S 8/21, NDPS Act.

A large amount of cash and Heroin had been recovered from his possession, he said. Wani was also involved in sale, purchase, transportation, warehousing and possession of Heroin.

The spokesperson said that other employees also were involved in various terror crimes and there was cases registered against them. 44 government employees, including middle rung officers, have been dismissed, under Article 311 in J&K since last year.

Last month Assabah-ul-Arjamand Khan, wife of Bitta Karate, who besides facing terror charges is an accused in killings of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990, Syed Abdul Mueed, son of Syed Salah-ud-Din, the Pakistan-based chief of United Jihad Council (UJC), Majid Hussain Qadri and Muheet Ahmad Bhat were terminated from their services on the same grounds.

Khan was a J&K Administrative Service (JKAS) officer while Mueed was working as Manager IT in J&K Entrepreneurship Development Institute. Bhat was a scientist-D in post-graduate Department of Computer Science at University of Kashmir (KU) while Qadri worked as Senior Assistant Professor, Department of Management Studies in the same varsity.