Kupwara crackdown: Jammu & Kashmir government sacks 2 employees over terror hyperlinks; Article 311 invoked | India News

NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha terminated the providers of two government employees within the Union Territory on Friday over their alleged involvement in terror actions, officers stated. The dismissed employees had been recognized as Siyad Ahmad Khan, an assistant stockman within the Sheep Husbandry Department residing within the Keran space, and Khurshid Ahmad Rather, a faculty instructor from the Karnah space – each in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution was invoked to terminate their providers after investigations by safety and intelligence businesses established their involvement, PTI quoted officers saying. Both are at the moment lodged within the Kupwara district jail. According to officers, Rather is accused of working as an overground employee (OGW) for Lashkar-e-Taiba. A probe revealed that Rather, who was appointed beneath the Rehbar-e-Taleem scheme in 2003 and confirmed in 2008, allegedly procured and distributed arms and narcotics for Pakistan-based handlers. He was arrested earlier this yr after arms had been seized in Kupwara. He was tasked by Pakistan-based handlers to acquire and distribute arms, ammunition and narcotics amongst energetic terrorists within the Valley. He reportedly acquired a number of consignments by the LoC in Karnah. The weapons had been equipped to terrorists, whereas proceeds from narcotics gross sales had been used to fund operations, officers stated. His function surfaced after intelligence inputs on January 25-2024 indicated that two Pakistani terrorists, with the assistance of 4 associates, together with Rather, had been smuggling arms in Kupwara. Khan, appointed in 2004, was caught with an AK-47 and is accused of sheltering and infiltrating terrorists and smuggling arms. Investigators revealed that he was in contact with a Pakistan-based handler, who used him for smuggling arms and narcotics throughout the LoC for additional distribution to energetic LeT terrorists. Officials described their actions as “betrayal of national trust”, underscoring the administration’s zero-tolerance coverage towards terror help networks inside government ranks. They stated the Lieutenant Governor was happy after contemplating the information and circumstances of the circumstances and famous that, on the idea of the knowledge obtainable, the actions of the 2 are resembling to warrant their dismissal from service. More than 70 govt employees have been dismissed in Jammu and Kashmir in recent times over alleged terror hyperlinks.