A week after the arrest of a teacher-turned-Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist from the border town of Poonch, the Jammu and Kashmir Government on Wednesday terminated four "terror-friendly" government employees including the president of the Doctors Association of Kashmir (DAK) for their alleged involvement in anti-national activities.
Among the terminated terror-friendly employees include Dr. Nissar-ul-Hassan president of DAK, Salam Rather (Laboratory Bearer in the Higher Education Department, Abdul Majeed Bhat, constable in the Police Department, and Farooq Ahmad Mir, a teacher in the School Education Department.
On November 15, security forces busted a cross-border Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terror module working in the twin-border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir. The terror module supervised by the government teacher was working on the directions of the terror mentors sitting across the Line of Control (LoC).
Although questioning of the arrested terrorists is underway, reports said that the module with the help of the government teacher was working to revive terrorism in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri by luring gullible youth to terror ranks.
The identity of the arrested terrorist was established as Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh, a Government teacher, son of Abdul Rashid, a resident of Sailan, Bufliaz area of Poonch.
In separate order copies effecting the termination, the directives, unanimously read that the employees have been terminated by the UT administration by invoking 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution of India – which empowers it to do so without an inquiry.
DAK chief was earlier arrested in 2014
The DAK president Dr. Nissar-ul-Hassan was earlier arrested under various charges for his alleged involvement in anti-national activities. He was charged under sections 107 and 151 RPC. He was later released on bail.
Employees terminated under Article 311 of the Indian Constitution
Terror-friendly employees were terminated under Article 311 of the Indian Constitution. Article 311 of the Constitution of India empowers the government to dismiss an employee on the basis of an inquiry report. Since April 202 the J&K government has dismissed 50 employees under this Act. Some employees have challenged this termination in the courts.
Invoking this Article, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had earlier dismissed Deputy Superintendent of Police Davinder Singh and two sons of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salluhudin from services "in the 'interest of the security of the state".
Amid reports that terror groups managed infiltration of their cadre into administration, the Jammu and Kashmir government, in April 2021 had announced the formation of a Special Task Force (STF) to identify and scrutinize government employees with links to activities that pose a threat to national security.
The SFT is headed by J&K's intelligence chief, who served for a decade in the Research and Analysis Wing before returning to J&K. The panel has been assigned the job of compiling records of such employees and referring the same to the committee already constituted in the month of July 2020. The panel has also engaged other members of the Terror Monitoring Group (TMG) to identify such other employees.
What is Article 311?
Article 311 of the Constitution of India empowers the government to dismiss an employee based on an inquiry report.
Notably, the Union Territory administration has invoked 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution of India to sack more than 50 such employees for their involvement in anti-national and terror activities in the last three years.
