The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Lieutenant Governor on August 3 invoked Article 311 and terminated six alleged “anti-national” government employees, including five policemen, on the basis of the reports filed by the security agencies.
“Five constables from the Police Department and one teacher from the Education Department are sacked in terms of Article 311 of the Constitution of India for their deep involvement in anti-national activities,” a government spokesman said.
The spokesman said the activities of these employees “had come to the adverse notice of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, as they found them thickly involved in activities prejudicial to the interests of the State, evidencing their involvement in terror related activities”.
The spokesman identified the sacked employees as Saif Din, Selection Grade Constable from Doda’s Shigani Bhallesa area; Farooq Ahmad Sheikh, Head Constable from Kupwara’s Ibkoote Tangdar area; Khalid Hussian Shah, Selection Grade Constable from Kupwara; Rahmat Shah, Constable, from Kupwara’s Karnah; Irshad Ahmad Chalkoo, Selection Grade Constable from Baramulla’s Silikote Uri, and Nazam Din, a teacher in the Education Department from Poonch’s Kirni Haveli.
“Farooq Ahmad Sheikh, Khalid Hussian Shah and Rahmat Shah had established contacts with the Pakistan based terrorists involved in smuggling of narcotics, weapons and money across the Line of Control [LoC] to India. They used to smuggle drugs from Pakistan and money generated through the illegal trade of these drugs was being used for fuelling unrest as well as financing the terrorism activities in the Kashmir Valley and other parts of the country,” the spokesman said.
The spokesman said Mr. Chalkoo had developed “a close relationship with the terrorist associates of the area and started working as an Over Ground Worker [OGW] with the proscribed terrorist organization, Lashkar-e-Taiba ‘‘.
“He was in close contact with various Kashmiri origin terrorists based in PoJK, through encrypted messaging applications and had received ammunition for further delivery to the terrorists. Being the resident of Uri, District Baramulla, he utilised his knowledge of the local terrain to establish contacts with terrorists based in PoJK. He used to assist terrorist groups, during infiltration, by providing logistics and transportation of their illegal arms and ammunition in the interior areas of Kashmir Valley,” the spokesman said.
Teacher Nazam Din, according to the spokesman, was “a highly motivated and committed drug peddler and an over ground worker [OGW] of terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit”.
“He had received consignments of narcotics from across the LoC for onward delivery to the drug peddlers even in Punjab. He was in constant touch with hard core terrorists in Pakistan, who exfiltrated for terrorist training and are currently active in terrorist activities from PoJK. He smuggled drugs from Pakistan and money generated through illegal trade of these drugs, it was used for fuelling unrest as well as financing the terrorism activities in the Kashmir Valley, as well as other parts of the country, being an important source in the narco terror system,” the spokesman said.
Over 60 government employees, including senior officials from police and the civil administration, have been sacked by J&K L-G Manoj Sinha since Article 311 was amended in J&K in 2021. The amended Article 311(2)(c) requires no departmental inquiry except for a police or an official report to terminate the services.
