J&K LG terminates 2 government employees for 'links' with terror outfits

Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha on Wednesday terminated two government employees from services for their alleged links with terror organisations.

The employees were terminated as part of “zero-tolerance to terror” policy of the LG. These dismissals were executed under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution of India. This is part of the ongoing drive to root out terrorists embedded in the government machinery.

One of the employees who has been terminated has been identified as Farhat Ali Khanday who was a Class-IV employee of the Education Department in Ramban. Farhat was allegedly operating for the terror outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.

Sources informed that Farhat first came under the watch of security and Intelligence agencies in 2011, when a Hawala network tasked with distributing money to families of killed terrorists was exposed. Later, fresh inputs revealed that terror funds were being channelled to revive and sustain the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorist network in Jammu Division.

Another government employee sacked by the LG is Mohammad Shafi Dar from Bandipora. He was working as a Class-IV employee in the Rural Development Department. His appointment was made on compassionate grounds following the death of his father, who was working as a plantation watcher in the Rural Development Department.

Investigation revealed that Mohammad Shafi Dar was allegedly working as a terror associate of LeT and he was providing logistical and operational support to ultras operating in Bandipora.

Sources said Shafi was tasked by Pakistan-based terror outfit to provide safe houses to terrorists, facilitate their movement and transportation, sharing sensitive information related to movement and deployment of police and security forces and raising the OGW network of LeT in the area.