Continuing the campaign to dismantle the terror ecosystem in the Union Territory, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday dismissed two more terror-friendly government employees under Article 311 of the Constitution of India.
Since the formation of a Special Task Force (STF) in April 2021, as many as 80 terror-linked employees have been sacked from government service for their involvement in terror-related activities.
Both of the recently dismissed employees were teachers in the School Education Department who, instead of educating students, were allegedly indoctrinating them with extremist and secessionist ideologies at the behest of their handlers across the border.
Although both employees were drawing hefty salaries from the government exchequer, they were reportedly working for the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).
According to an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) of Jammu and Kashmir, Ghulam Hussain, son of Ali Mohammad and a resident of Kalwa Mulass, Tehsil Mahore, District Reasi, was dismissed from service. He was serving as a teacher in the School Education Department.
"Whereas, the Lieutenant Governor is satisfied after considering the facts and circumstances of the case and on the basis of the information available, that the activities of Ghulam Hussain, Teacher in the School Education Department, are such as to warrant his dismissal from service," the order reads.
"Whereas, the Lieutenant Governor is satisfied under sub-clause (c) of the proviso to clause (2) of Article 311 of the Constitution of India that, in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold an enquiry in the case of Ghulam Hussain, Teacher in the School Education Department," the order further states, adding, "Accordingly, the Lieutenant Governor hereby dismisses Ghulam Hussain, Teacher in the School Education Department, with immediate effect."
The second employee, Majid Iqbal Dar, also a teacher, was allegedly involved in narco-terrorism, radicalization of youth, and terror financing through drug money. He was reportedly linked to IED plots in Rajouri and continued his subversive activities even during detention.
"Whereas, the Lieutenant Governor is satisfied after considering the facts and circumstances of the case and on the basis of the information available, that the activities of Maajid Iqbal Dar, Teacher in the School Education Department, son of late Mohammad Iqbal Dar, resident of Ward No. 1, Kheora, District Rajouri, are such as to warrant his dismissal from service," the order reads.
It further states that the Lieutenant Governor is satisfied under sub-clause (c) of the proviso to clause (2) of Article 311 of the Constitution of India that, in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold an inquiry in the case of Maajid Iqbal Dar. Accordingly, the Lieutenant Governor dismissed Maajid Iqbal Dar from service with immediate effect.
80 employees sacked in last four years
The systematic process of identifying and removing terror-linked employees began in 2021, when the government established a dedicated panel to scrutinize staff suspected of links with terror networks.
The initiative gained further momentum with the formation of the Special Task Force (STF) in April 2021, specifically tasked with identifying employees whose activities pose a threat to national security.
The STF, headed by J&K's intelligence chief — an officer with decades of experience in the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) — works in coordination with the Terror Monitoring Group (TMG) to gather evidence before referring cases to the competent committee, established in July 2020.
Among the most notable dismissals since the start of the drive was the July 2021 termination of 11 employees, including two sons of Hizbul Mujahideen's self-styled "supreme commander" Syed Salahuddin. The dismissed individuals, Syed Ahmad Shakeel and Shahid Yousuf, were found to be involved in terror funding activities.
Other significant removals included Naib Tehsildar Nazir Ahmad Wani for anti-India activities and Deputy Superintendent of Police Davinder Singh for alleged links with terrorist organizations.
More recently, in August 2022, two government employees — a school teacher and an Assistant Stockman in the Sheep Husbandry Department — were dismissed for their alleged involvement in terror activities. Security officials described them as "active terror collaborators" engaged in logistics, arms smuggling, and providing support to terrorists targeting security forces and civilians.
The termination drive has intensified since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, with the administration adopting a zero-tolerance policy toward government employees suspected of terror links.
