Srinagar, Feb 15 (NVI) Three employees of the Jammu and Kashmir Government, including a jailed policeman, were dismissed from service today for their alleged links with terrorism, making them join 70 other people who were punished in such a manner.
The Administration of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory, headed by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, terminated the employment of police constable Firdous Ahmad Bhat, teacher Mohammad Ashraf Bhat and orderly in the Forest Department Nisar Ahmad Khan, officials said.
The Lt Governor invoked Article 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution to terminate the services of the three employees after investigation by law enforcement and intelligence agencies clearly established their terror links, the officials said.
Over the last 3 years, the Lt Governor has sacked around 70 employees of the Jammu and Kashmir government for having links with terrorism or terrorists.
The dismissed policeman Firdous Ahmad Bhat is already lodged in Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu since May last year after being arrested for links with Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror outfit.
Initially appointed as a Special Police Officer (SPO) in 2005, he was promoted as a Constable in 2011 and posted at a sensitive position of Electronic Surveillance Unit in the J&K Police.
However, he was clandestinely working for LeT and got exposed when two terrorists — Waseem Shah and Adnan Beigh — were arrested in Anantnag with a pistol and a hand grenade as they were planning to attack non-local civilians and tourists, the officials said.
His interrogation allegedly unveiled his sinister design and led to the recovery of a sizable quantity of arms including pistols, ammunition and explosives from his residential quarter in Police Housing Colony in Srinagar and a newly-constructed house in Mattan, Anantnag.
Investigators also allegedly recovered from his residence 3 kgs of charas which was sent by Pakistan-based LeT terrorist Sajid Jutt alias Saifullah and dropped by a drone in Samba border district of Jammu a few days earlier, according to the officials.
Investigations allegedly also revealed that besides Jutt, he was working for Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Khursheed Dar and LeT terrorist Hamza Bhai and Abu Zarar.
Firdous used his police constable cover allegedly to transport arms, ammunition and explosives for terrorists, the officials said.
He not only provided classified information about the movement of security forces but also guided terror attacks, they said.
The dismissed constable was also found allegedly involved in an attack on a police party in 2020 which led to the killing of sub-inspector Ashraf Bhat and an attack on a group of tourists in Pahalgam on May 18 last year that left two persons injured.
The officials said he was also involved in radicalising and luring the youth to join terror ranks besides using terrorists to blackmail government officials including his colleagues and businessmen.
Ashraf Bhat, a resident of Reasi who was appointed as ‘Rehbar-e-Taleem’ Teacher in 2008 and regularised in June 2013, was allegedly affiliated with LeT, the officials said.
For many years his activities were undetected but eventually came to light in 2022 and he was arrested and currently lodged in district jail, Reasi, the officials said.
During the course of investigation, it was revealed that Bhat’s handler was the most wanted LeT terrorist Mohd Qasim, who is based in Pakistan.
LeT found him to be very useful because as a teacher Bhat was best placed to radicalise youth and carry out terror activities.
He helped LeT to raise finances for terror activities and coordinated transport of arms, ammunition and explosives, they said.
Nisar Ahmad Khan joined the Forest Department in 1996 as a helper and was currently posted as an orderly at the Forest Range Office, Verinag (Anantnag).
He was allegedly found working for Hizbul Mujahideen, the officials said.
They said his links with the outfit first came to light in the year 2000 when a landmine blast in Anantnag killed the then power minister Ghulam Hasan Bhat and two policemen.
Khan and another accused had provided logistical support to the terrorists to carry out the attack.
He also helped in smuggling RDX used in the blast, the officials said, adding he was arrested, chargesheeted but later acquitted in 2006 due to witnesses backtracking, intimidating environment inside and outside the courts.
However, despite his acquittal in 2006, Khan continued his work for the terror group and his role was once again exposed in 2016 when he played a central role during the valley’s unrest following the killing of Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani, the officials said.
They said he also mobilised mobs and youth for stone pelting and arranged weapons to attack security forces and is named in four FIRs.
After the killing of another terrorist Yawar Nisar Wagay in 2017, he once again played a key role in organising violent protests and was subsequently detained under the Public Safety Act for eight months. (NVI)
