Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday terminated the services of five government employees for their alleged terror links, officials said
With these five fresh dismissals, the total number of employees terminated under 311(2)(C), which allows the Lt Governor to dismiss employees without ordering an inquiry against them or seeking an explanation, has risen to 87.
The dismissed employees include Mohammad Ishfaq, a teacher; Tariq Ahmad Shah, a laboratory technician; Bashir Ahmad Mir, an assistant lineman; Farooq Ahmad Bhat, a field worker in the Forest Department; and Mohammad Yousf, a driver in the Health Department.
A dossier, circulated unofficially by the government, said that Ishfaq was appointed as Rehbar-e-Taleem in School education department and later got confirmed as a Teacher in 2013.
According to the investigators Ishfaq was working for Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and was in regular contact with LeT Commander Mohammad Amin alias Abu Khubaib, a Government of India designated individual terrorist, who is operating from Pakistan. He was arrested in April 2022 by the J&K Police
The dossier said Tariq was initially engaged on a contractual basis in 2011 and confirmed in service in 2016.
According to officials, he came under the influence of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) from an early age.
Investigators allege that Tariq’s links surfaced during a State Investigation Agency (SIA) probe into Amin Baba’s, his relative, escape to Pakistan in 2005.
The investigation reportedly revealed that Tariq facilitated Amin Baba’s stay in Anantnag and later helped arrange his transportation to the Attari–Wagah border, aiding his escape.
The dossier said that Bashir Ahmad Mir joined Public Health Engineering (PHE) Dept in 1988 and was regularised in 1996. The investigators said despite being a government employee, Bashir became an active overground worker of LeT in the Gurez area of Bandipora.
Similar charges have been levelled against the two other employees Farooq Ahmad Bhat and Mohammad Yousf.
Investigators allege that Farooq Bhat, became actively associated with HM and informally worked as a personal assistant to a former MLA linked to the outfit.
He is accused of helping plan and execute the escape of HM commander Amin Baba to Pakistan, allegedly using his government identity card to bypass security checks, with an official vehicle facilitated by the former MLA.
Investigators say Yousf remained in regular touch with Pakistan-based HM terrorist Bashir Ahmad Bhat.
On his directions, Yousf allegedly helped establish links with HM cadres for procuring arms and moving funds in Ganderbal.
