Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday dismissed two government employees for alleged involvement in terror activities, invoking Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution, which allows termination without departmental inquiry in the interest of state security.
According to an official order (reported by JKNS), the first employee, Khurshid Ahmad Rather, a teacher appointed in 2003 and regularised in 2008, was found to be an Over Ground Worker (OGW) for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Investigations linked him to smuggling arms, ammunition, and narcotics from Pakistan through LoC routes in Kupwara. A cache of weapons, including AK rifles and pistols, was recovered, and he is currently lodged in District Jail Kupwara.
The second employee, Siyad Ahmad Khan, an Assistant Stockman in the Sheep Husbandry Department since 2004, was arrested in January 2024 while allegedly transporting arms in Keran, Kupwara. Police said an AK-47 was recovered from him, while his associate carried a pistol and ammunition. Investigators claimed he was in active contact with LeT handlers across the LoC.
Authorities stated that both men had “betrayed their oath of service and acted as conduits for terror operations”, stressing that government service and educational institutions could not be compromised by individuals aiding militancy.
