Earlier this year, Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, terminated the services of three government employees, including Firdous Ahmad Bhat, a police constable, Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, a teacher, and Nisar Ahmad Khan, an orderly in the forest department, for their alleged connections with terrorism. The Lieutenant Governor invoked Article 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution to dismiss the three employees after law enforcement and intelligence agencies established their links with the terrorists. Khan had previously been arrested in connection with the assassination of a National Conference minister in 2000.
Firdous Ahmad Bhat began his career as a Special Police Officer (SPO) in 2005 and was promoted to constable in 2011. He was assigned to the Electronic Surveillance Unit of the J-K Police but was found to be collaborating with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He is currently incarcerated in Kot Bhalwal Jail.
His involvement came to light when two terrorists, Waseem Shah and Adnan Beigh, were apprehended in Anantnag with a pistol and a hand grenade.
During interrogation, Bhat admitted his involvement. The police recovered a substantial cache of pistols, ammunition, and explosives from his residences in the Police Housing Colony in Srinagar and a newly built house in Mattan, Anantnag.
Apart from this, 3 kg of charas was seized from his home. It was delivered by a Pakistan-based LeT terrorist via drone.
Bhat was allegedly using his position as a police constable, to transport weapons for terrorists.
He was reportedly close to Hizbul Mujahideen’s Commander Khursheed Dar, and LeT operatives Hamza Bhai and Abu Zarar. He was allegedly providing critical information regarding the movements of security forces and facilitating terror attacks.
Bhat’s involvement in a 2020 attack on a police party resulted in the death of sub-inspector Ashraf Bhat. He was also implicated in an attack on tourists at Pahalgam, which left two people injured.
He was accused of persuading youth to join the terrorist groups and using terrorists to extort money from government officials and businesspeople.
Farooq Ahmad Sheikh is one of the five policemen dismissed from service for their alleged involvement in narco-militancy and drug smuggling operations linked to a cross-border narcotics syndicate in Jammu and Kashmir. The others dismissed policemen included: Khalid Hussain Shah (implicated in drug smuggling operations), Rehmat Shah (involved in cross-border narcotics syndicate), Irfan Ahmad Chalkoo (accused of drug trafficking) and Saifuldin (part of the alleged narco-militancy network) apart from them Nazim Uddin a school teacher was also found to be involved in drug trafficking.
Most of the dismissed policemen are from border areas and were linked to a cross-border narcotics syndicate and militant groups. They were dismissed to root out corruption and illicit activities within the security forces.
In August last year the J&K administration dismissed six government officials, including five policemen and a teacher, for alleged involvement in a narco-terror network linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The officials were involved in financing terrorism through drug sales.
The dismissed officials included Farooq Ahmad Sheikh (Head Constable), Khalid Hussain Shah (Constable), Rehmat Shah (Constable), Irshad Ahmad Chalkoo (Constable) and Saif Din (Constable). Nazam Din a government school teacher was also involved in their network.
In yet another incidence, Showkat Ahmad Khan, a constable accused of collaborating with terrorists and involvement in looting service weapons was summarily dismissed from service and potential prosecution without a trial, citing ‘security reasons’.
Likewise Jaffer Hussain Butt, a constable, was accused of providing logistical support to Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists and facilitating terrorist activities.
Similarly 11 government employees, including two policemen from Anantnag, Budgam, Baramulla, Srinagar, Pulwama, and Kupwara were dismissed from service in 2011 for allegedly working as ove- ground workers for terrorist organizations. Besides the two policemen, the others used to work in education department, agriculture department, skill development department, power department: and health department.
But the biggest catch was when DSP Davinder Singh was caught red-handed with a notorious terrorist called Naeem Khan, and two others. The case against him mentioned in detail allegations of involvement with militants and potential links to terrorist activities. After his arrest along with the wanted terrorist and others, he was charged with criminal offences relating to terrorism and criminal conspiracy.
DSP Davinder Singh was said to be allegedly aiding militants, facilitating travel and providing shelter. His case highlights the complexities and challenges in addressing terrorism and its potential links to those in positions of authority or responsibility.
Significantly more than 70 government employees have been terminated by the Lieutenant Governor for reasons related to terrorism over the past few years. In addition to these, several army, police, and paramilitary personnel have been arrested for drug smuggling in Jammu and Kashmir.
One of the first major incidents of security forces’ involvement in a cross-border drug smuggling and militancy network was uncovered in 2021 when the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a BSF officer posted in the Handwara area of Kupwara district. The officer was accused of operating a cross-border drug syndicate linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group.
The NIA recovered ₹ 91 lakh in cash from Romesh Kumar, a BSF sub-inspector from Samba in Jammu as part of the proceeds from drug trafficking.
