SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday dismissed six of its employees including five policemen for their alleged involvement in "anti-national" activities by invoking Article 311 of the Constitution of India.
The sacked government employees have been identified as Saif Din, Selection Grade police Constable R/o Doda; Farooq Ahmad Sheikh, Head Constable R/o Tangdar, Kupwara; Khalid Hussian Shah, Selection Grade police Constable R/o Tangdar, Kupwara; Rahmat Shah, Constable R/o Karnah, Kupwara; Irshad Ahmad Chalkoo, Selection grade police Constable R/o Uri, Baramulla and Nazam Din, teacher in the Education Department R/o Poonch.
“The activities of the six 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,” an official spokesperson said.
He said Selection Grade police constable Saif Din “is a notorious drug peddler, a habitual offender and a mastermind for generation and distribution of narco terror funding. He is a deeply motivated and committed drug peddler as well as an Over Ground Worker for terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen. He had established drug channels which are being used by anti-national agencies/elements to smuggle weapons, narcotics and to facilitate infiltration of terrorists in J&K”.
“Head constable Farooq Ahmad Sheikh along with two other policemen Khalid Hussian Shah and Rahmat Shah received a huge consignment of narcotics from drug smugglers across the LoC from PoK. He had contacts with the Pakistan-based terrorists, who have been involved in smuggling of narcotics, weapons and money across the LoC,” the spokesperson said.
“Being a resident of Tangdar Karnah, Kupwara, he (Khalid Hussain Shah) used his expertise of local terrain and topography to establish contacts with narcotic drug smugglers across the border in PoK and was at the forefront of running a drug cartel in Kupwara-Karnah region,” he added.
The spokesman further said constable Rahmat Shah had received a huge consignment of narcotics from across the LoC for peddling it to other parts of the country including the local market for profit motive and for a larger game plan of the adversary agency to destabilize J&K.
The spokesman further alleged that Farooq, Khalid and Rahmat had established contacts with Pakistan-based terrorists involved in the smuggling of narcotics, weapons and money across the LoC to India.
“They used to smuggle drugs from Pakistan and money generated through the illegal trade of these drugs was being used for fueling unrest as well as financing terrorism activities in the Kashmir Valley and other parts of the country. They were in contact with a large number of drug peddlers and Over Ground Workers of the terrorist organizations.”.
According to the official spokesman, another police constable Irshad Ahmad Chalkoo had developed a close relationship with the terrorist associates and started working as an Over Ground Worker with the Lashkar-e-Taiba.
“He was in close contact with various Kashmiri-origin terrorists based in PoK through encrypted messaging applications and had received arms and ammunition for further delivery to the terrorists. Being a resident of the border town of Uri, he utilized his knowledge of the local terrain to establish contacts with terrorists based in PoK. 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,” he said.
The spokesman further said teacher Nazam Din is a highly motivated and committed drug peddler and an Over Ground Worker of Hizbul Mujahideen militant 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 hardcore terrorists in Pakistan, who were exfiltrated for terrorist training and are currently active in terrorist activities in PoK."
"He smuggled drugs from Pakistan and money generated through the illegal trade of these drugs, which was used for fueling unrest as well as financing 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.
The six employees have been sacked in terms of sub-clause (c ) of the proviso to clause (2) of Article 311 of the constitution.
Under the proviso (C) of Article 311(2), the government is empowered to terminate an employee without recourse to the normal procedure if it is satisfied that his/her retention in public service is prejudicial to the security of the state.
The dismissal of government employees has come on the recommendation of the Special Task Force (STF), which has been formed by the J&K government to scrutinize the cases of employees suspected of activities requiring action under the proviso (C) of Article 311(2) of the Constitution of India.
The government has so far sacked over 70 employees for alleged anti-national activities by invoking provisions of Article 311 (2) of the constitution of India.
After the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A and bifurcation of J&K state into two Union Territories by the Centre on August 5, 2109, the Lt Governor administration in J&K has gone tough against its employees.
“Government has adopted a Zero tolerance policy towards the anti-national elements who have been taking advantage of being in the Government service,” added the government spokesman.
