J&K govt sacks Hizbul chief's son, 3 others over terror links

Srinagar, Aug 13: In a major crackdown on terror support base in Kashmir valley, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday sacked four of its employees for allegedly having terror links and working as over ground workers. Among those dismissed were son of Syed Salahuddin, the chief of banned Hizbul Mujahideen, and the wife of terror-funding accused Bitta Karate

These sackings were cleared by a designated committee of the Jammu and Kashmir administration constituted to recommend cases under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution.

Syed Abdul Mueed, son of Salahuddin (Syed Mohd Yusuf) and Manager (Information and Technology) at the Commerce and Industries Department, is among the dismissed employees. He is the third son of the Hizb chief to have been sacked from the government job.

Syed Ahmed Shakeel and Shahid Yusuf were dismissed from service last year. According to the officials, Mueed has allegedly been found having a role in three terror attacks on the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) complex at Sempora in Pampore and his presence in the institution has led to increased sympathy with the secessionist forces.

Assabah-ul-Arjamand Khan, the wife of Farooq Ahmed Dar alias 'Bitta Karate' and a 2011-batch Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service officer (JKAS), is alleged to have been found involved in providing false information for seeking a passport. She is alleged to "have links with foreign people who have been indexed by the Indian security and intelligence to be on the payrolls of the ISI".

Also her involvement in ferrying consignment of money for funding anti-India activities in Jammu and Kashmir has been reported, the officials said.

'Bitta Karate' has been lodged in Tihar jail since 2017 in a case related to terror-funding. He was also involved in the killings of several members of the minority community in the early 1990s.

Also sacked from the government is Dr. Muheet Ahmad Bhat, posted as a scientist in the Post Graduate Department of Computer Science in Kashmir university. He is alleged to have been found involved in propagating secessionist-terrorist agenda in the university by radicalising students for advancing the programme and agenda of Pakistan and its proxies.

Majid Hussain Qadri, a senior Assistant Professor in Kashmir University, is alleged to have a long association with terror organisations including the banned Lashker-e-Taiba. He had earlier been booked under the stringent Public Safety Act and figures in a number of FIRs related to various terror cases. Around 40 employees have been dismissed so far from the government services in Jammu and Kashmir.

Prominent among them being the two sons Salahuddin and tainted deputy superintendent of police Devender Singh (now removed), who was caught with a most wanted terrorist and two others along Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

Officials said the sacking was effected after the Lt governor was satisfied, upon considering facts and circumstances of the cases and based on the information available, that the activities of these employees warrant dismissal from service under provision of Article 311 (2) (C) of the Constitution.

Under this provision, the sacked employees can only approach the High Court with their plea against their dismissal. The process of dismissal began in April last year, a week after the Union Territory administration constituted a committee to investigate allegations of involvement of government employees in anti-State activities, and recommend dismissal of those found involved.