In an ongoing crackdown on terror-friendly elements within government departments, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday ordered the termination of two government employees from north Kashmir's Kupwara district for their alleged involvement with the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The dismissed employees have been identified as Khurshid Ahmad Rather, a teacher in the School Education Department and resident of Nawa Gabra, Karnah, Kupwara; and Siyad Ahmad Khah, an Assistant Stockman in the Sheep Husbandry Department, resident of Keran, Kupwara. Both have been lodged in jail since January last year.
- Khurshid Ahmad Rather, a teacher in the School Education Department and resident of Nawa Gabra, Karnah, Kupwara.
- Siyad Ahmad Khah, an Assistant Stockman in the Sheep Husbandry Department, resident of Keran, Kupwara.
The law enforcement agencies and the Lieutenant Governor invoked Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution, which allows dismissal from service without an inquiry "in the interest of national security." Authorities stated that incriminating material evidence was collected by law enforcement and intelligence agencies against both individuals.
Officials said the action is part of the administration's sustained efforts to dismantle terror infrastructure and weed out overground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers from within government ranks.
78 Government Employees Terminated Since 2021 for Terror Links
Since the formation of a dedicated panel in April 2021 to identify government employees with terror links, the J&K administration has dismissed 78 employees for their involvement in anti-national activities.
In July 2021, the government had sacked 11 employees, including two sons of Hizbul Mujahideen's self-styled 'supreme commander' Syed Salahuddin—namely, Syed Ahmad Shakeel and Shahid Yousuf—after the panel established their involvement in terror funding.
Another notable dismissal included that of Naib Tehsildar Nazir Ahmad Wani for indulging in anti-India activities. Similarly, Deputy Superintendent of Police Davinder Singh was removed from service under the same constitutional provision due to his alleged links to terrorism.
In April 2021, the government announced the formation of a Special Task Force (STF) to identify and scrutinize employees with links to activities that pose a threat to national security. The STF is headed by J&K's intelligence chief—an officer with a decade-long tenure in the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)—and collaborates with the Terror Monitoring Group (TMG) to gather evidence and refer cases to the competent committee established in July 2020.
Three Government Employees Terminated in June for Terror Links
On June 3, 2025, the Lieutenant Governor's administration had sacked three government employees—a police constable, a school teacher, and an assistant in the J&K Health Education Department—for their alleged involvement in terror activities. A senior security official stated that the individuals were "active terror collaborators," involved in logistics, arms smuggling, and providing support to terrorists targeting security forces and civilians.
The terminated employees were:
Ajaz Ahmad, a government school teacher from Baflaiz village, Surankote tehsil, Poonch district
Malik Ishfaq Naseer, a selection-grade police constable from Khahgund, Anantnag
Waseem Ahmad Khan, an assistant in the Health Education Department, residing in Diyarwani New Colony, Batamaloo, Srinagar
All three have been in judicial custody since their arrest.
Since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, a total of 78 government employees have been terminated from service due to their alleged involvement in terror-related activities.
