Key Points

The terminated employees have been identified as Khurshid Ahmed Rather, a teacher posted in Karnah of Kupwara district and Siyad Ahmad Khan, a stock assistant in the Sheep Husbandry Department posted in Keran area of the same district.

Officials said that both these government employees were found to be working for the proscribed outfit, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

"Law enforcement and intelligence agencies had reportedly gathered incriminating evidence establishing their links with the outfit before action was taken under the provisions of law," officials said.

The terminations were carried out under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution of India, which empowers the government to dismiss employees without an inquiry if deemed necessary in the interest of the security of the state.

The government has intensified its crackdown on government employees suspected of links with terrorist groups, with dozens terminated since 2021 under similar provisions.

The terminated employee, Khurshid Ahmad Rather, was appointed in government service as Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) in the School Education Department in 2003 and got confirmed as a teacher in 2008. He was posted at Government Primary School, Maindpora Nawa Gabra, Kupwara.

Presently, he is under suspension since his arrest on January 26, 2024 and is lodged at District Jail, Kupwara. He is listed in police records as a terrorist associate/Overground Worker (OGW) of the LeT.

Officials said that despite being employed and paid by the government to serve in the education department, Rather violated this trust and chose to secretly associate himself with LeT.

"Rather than fulfilling his duties of imparting education to the children of the remote district of Jammu and Kashmir, he became actively involved in subversive activities aimed at harming the state and became an active conduit for terrorist activities sponsored by LeT. His actions were not merely passive or incidental; he played a deliberate and dangerous role in furthering the objectives of a terrorist network that is committed to destabilising the region and attacking the sovereignty of the Indian state," the officials said.

"On 25.01.2024, Police Kupwara received credible information that two POJK-based terrorists of the LeT outfit, Manzoor Ahmad Sheikh alias Shakoor (Kashmiri Native Operative from Pakistan) and Qazi Mohammad Khushal (Kashmiri Native Operative from Pakistan) were involved in smuggling arms, ammunition and explosives from across the border into Indian territory. This operation was being facilitated through their local associates, Khurshid Ahmad Rather, Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, Ghulam Sarwar Rather and Qazi Fazal of Karnah, Kupwara with the objective of promoting terrorism in J&K and other parts of the country," the officials added.

A case FIR No. 07/2024 under section 120-B IPC, 13, 18, 20, 23, 38, 39 UA(P) Act was registered in Police Station Karnah Kupwara.

The other dismissed employee, Siyad Ahmad Khan Rather, has been conducting his activities in a very secret and veiled manner to avoid the suspicion of security forces.

"Pursuant to his subversive anti-national activities, on 12.01.2024, while he was on one such mission to supply arms and ammunition to the terrorists of LeT was intercepted at Peer Baba Shrine, Keran by a naka party of police and army. On search, one AK-47 was recovered from his possession, and one pistol, one pistol Magazine and five pistol rounds were recovered from his associate, Rafaqat Ahmad Khan," said the officials.

The recovery of these arms and ammunition in the case clearly reflected the depth of Khan's engagement in unlawful activities.

"Upon this, case FIR No. 02/2024 under sections 7/25 Arms Act, 13 UA(P) Act was registered at Police Station Keran, Kupwara", officials added.

- IANS