J-K L-G terminates services of two government employees over terror links

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday terminated the services of two government employees over alleged links with terror outfits , bolstering his administration’s ongoing “zero‑tolerance to terror” policy aimed at dismantling militant influence within government ranks and rooting out elements hostile to the state.

The dismissals were made under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution , which allows for the removal of civil servants without a formal inquiry when national security is at stake. Officials described the action as part of a continuing effort to cleanse government machinery of covert terror support networks and strengthen institutional security.

The two employees identified in Wednesday’s orders are Farhat Ali Khanday , a Class‑IV worker in the Education Department in Ramban, and Mohammad Shafi Dar , a Class‑IV employee in the Rural Development Department from Bandipora.

According to officials, Khanday was found to be working with Hizbul Mujahideen , allegedly using his government position as a cover to revive militant activities and expand terror networks in his region. Sources said his name first surfaced during an investigation in 2011 into a hawala network that funnelled funds to families of militants; although arrested and later granted bail, he was allegedly found to have maintained contacts with militant operatives and acted as an over‑ground facilitator.

Dar’s dismissal followed an investigation that indicated he had become an operational associate of Lashkar‑e‑Taiba , providing logistical support such as arranging safe houses, aiding movement of militants, and sharing sensitive information about the deployment of security forces. He was apprehended in April 2025 during a joint naka check where authorities recovered an AK‑56 rifle, a grenade, and other ammunition from his possession. The probe further suggested he had escalated from facilitator to active involvement in planning attacks on security personnel.

Officials said these actions are part of a broader crackdown on terror links in government service. Under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s administration since 2020 , more than 90 government employees have been dismissed for alleged terror affiliations. Authorities maintain that these decisive measures are necessary to protect state security, though some critics have questioned aspects of due process in the dismissals.

The dismissals come amid other counter‑terror operations in the region , including a major anti‑terror breakthrough by Jammu and Kashmir Police, which recently busted a deep‑rooted interstate Lashkar‑e‑Taiba module . In that operation, five suspects were arrested, including a Pakistani terrorist who had been evading capture for 16 years , underscoring the ongoing nature of security challenges in the Union Territory.