J&K: Three government employees fired for alleged ‘anti-national’ activities

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday terminated the services of three government employees, alleging they were involved in “anti-national” activities, The Hindu reported.

The services of Manzoor Ahmad Itoo, a junior engineer in Bandipora, Syed Saleem Andrabi, an employee in the Social Welfare Department in Kupwara and Mohd Aurif Sheikh, a teacher in Government Middle School in Reasi have been terminated.

“The activities of these employees had come to the adverse notice of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, as they found them involved in action prejudicial to the interests of the state, such as involvement in terror-related activities and drug trafficking,” a government spokesperson said, according to The Hindu.

The three employees were sacked under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution which allows a government employee to be terminated without an inquiry if the president or a governor believes that such action would not be in the interests of the security of the state.

“The Lieutenant Governor [Manoj Sinha] is satisfied after considering the facts and circumstances of the case and on the basis of the information available that the activities…are such as to warrant dismissal from the service,” an order issued by the General Administration Department said.

Since 2019, 47 government employees have been terminated from their services by the Jammu and Kashmir administration, reported the Hindustan Times.

On October 16, five government employees were fired for allegedly being a “threat to the security” to the Union Territory. On May 13, the administration had fired three government employees alleging they had links with terrorist organisations.

Similarly, five employees were sacked on March 30. These included two police constables, a computer operator, a teacher and a nursing orderly.