Jammu and Kashmir admin sacks 11 employees for allegedly working for terror groups, say officials

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has sacked 11 more employees, including sons of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin who has been designated a global terrorist by the US, for allegedly working for various terror groups, officials said on Saturday.

Earlier seven employees, including Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Davinder Singh and an assistant professor, were dismissed by the Union Territory's administration.

The dismissals started in the last week of April and have been done under Article 311 of the Indian Constitution under which the employees hold their office under the pleasure of the president and can be dismissed without an inquiry. Dismissed employees can only approach a high court for relief.

The decision to dismiss the 11 employees was taken at two meetings of the designated committee in Jammu and Kashmir for scrutinising such cases. In one of the meetings, three employees were recommended for dismissal and in another, eight were recommended for dismissal from government service.

The final decision was taken after considering the recommendation of the findings of the meetings of the committee, the officials said.

The 11 employees, who have been dismissed, are from the Jammu Kashmir Police, the education, agriculture, skill development, power and health departments, and the Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS).

Among the employees, four are from Anantnag, three from Budgam, and one each from Baramulla, Srinagar, Pulwama and Kupwara districts, the officials said.

Syed Ahmad Shakeel and Shahid Yousuf, who are sons of the most wanted terrorist, Salahuddin, were dismissed from service for allegedly being involved in terror funding, the officials said. Salahuddin has been designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the United States.

One of them was working with SKIMS as a pharmacist and the other was in the agriculture department, they said.

The National Investigation Agency has tracked terror funding trails of both persons. They were involved in raising, receiving, collecting and transferring funds through Hawala (non-banking) transactions for terror activities of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen, the officials said.

The three officials recommended for dismissal in one of the meetings included an orderly of the ITI in Kupwara, who was an overground worker (OGW) of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, they said, adding he was providing information to terrorists about the movement of security forces, and abetting and harbouring terrorists to carry out activities in a clandestine manner.

Besides him, there were two teachers from Anantnag in South Kashmir who were found involved in anti-national activities, including participating, supporting and propagating secessionist ideology of the banned groups like Jamat-Islami (JeI) and Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM), the officials said.

The eight government employees recommended for dismissal in the other meeting of the committee included two constables of the Jammu Kashmir Police who supported terrorism from within the police department and provided inside information to terrorists as also logistic support, the officials said.

Constable Abdul Rashid Shigan has himself executed attacks on security forces, they said. The other constable was identified as Showkat Sofi, who is alleged to be hand-in-glove with the banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, the officials said.

Another government employee with terror links is Naaz Mhammad Allaie, an orderly of the health department. He is an OGW of the Hizbul Mujahideen and has a history of direct involvement in terrorist activities, the officials said, adding that two dreaded terrorists were harboured by him at his residence.

Employees Jabbar Ahmad Paray and Nisar Ahmad Tantray of the education department, who terminated from service, are alleged to be "actively" involved in furthering the secessionist agenda unleashed by terror-sponsors from Pakistan and are Jamat-e-Islami ideologists, they said.

Shaheen Ahmad Lone, an inspector of the power department has been found involved in smuggling and transporting of arms for the Hizbul Mujahideen terror group, the officials said.

He was found travelling along with two terrorists on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and carrying arms, ammunition and explosives in January last year, they said.

Earlier in April-May, the administration dismissed seven employees including DSP Singh. Along with him Bashir Ahmad Sheikh and Mohammad Yousuf Ganie, both from Kupwara in North Kashmir, were dismissed from the education department.

Dr Abdul Bari Naik, assistant professor, geography, Government Degree College, Women, Udhampur; Nazir Ahmed Wani, Naib Tehsildar (Revenue Officer), Pulwama; and a teacher, Idrees Jan of Government School, Kupwara, were dismissed.

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Press Trust of India