Five policemen, teacher sacked for narco-terror links

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday sacked six government employees, including five policemen, for their "deep involvement in anti-national activities", officials said.

J-K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha invoked article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution to terminate them from service, they said.

Under proviso 'c' of the Article, the president or the governor, is empowered to terminate an employee without recourse to the normal procedure if satisfied that the person's retention in public service is prejudicial to the security of the State.

"The government today dismissed six employees -- five from the police department (constables) and one from the education department (teacher) -- for their deep involvement in anti-national activities," an official said.

Their activities had come to the notice of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and they found them "thickly involved" in activities prejudicial to the interests of the State, evidencing their involvement in terror-related activities, they said.

The officials identified the sacked employees as Head Constable Farooq Ahmad Sheikh, Selection Grade Constables Saif Din, Khalid Hussian Shah and Irshad Ahmad Chalkoo, Constable Rahmat Shah and teacher Nazam Din.

Saif Din, a resident of Shigani Bhallesa in Doda district, was a "deeply motivated and committed drug peddler as well as an over ground worker for terrorists of proscribed terrorist organisations like the Hizbul Mujahideen", the official said.

"He had established drug channels which are being used by anti-national agencies and elements to smuggle weapons, narcotics and to facilitate infiltration of terrorists into J-K," the official added.

Head Constable Sheikh, a resident of Ibkoote Tangdar area of Kupwara, along with Khalid Shah and Rahmat Shah received a huge consignment of narcotics from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir-based smugglers from across the LoC, the officials said.

Sheikh was in contact with Pakistan-based terrorists who have been involved in smuggling narcotics, weapons and money from across the Line of Control (LoC), they said.

Khalid Shah, a resident of Chanipora Payeen Tangdar area of Kupwara, used his knowledge of the area to establish contact with drug smugglers in PoJK. He was at the forefront of running a drug cartel in the Kupwara-Karnah region.

The officials said Rahmat Shah, a resident of Panjowa Pingla Haridal in the Karnah area of Kupwara, had received a huge consignment of narcotics from across the LoC for selling it in other parts of the country. The earnings were to be used for a "larger game plan of adversary agency to destabilise J-K", they said.

The officials said all three -- Sheikh, Khalid Shah and Rahmat Shah -- had established contacts with Pakistan-based terrorists.

"They used to smuggle drugs from Pakistan, and the money generated through the illegal trade of these drugs was being used for fuelling unrest as well as financing terrorism activities...," the official said.

"They were in contact with large number of drug peddlers and over ground Workers of a proscribed terrorist organisation, and were a part of the modus operandi for arranging funding for terrorism in the Kashmir Valley and other parts of the country," the official added.

Chalkoo, a resident of Silikote area of Uri in Baramulla, had developed a close relationship with terrorist associates in the area and started working as an over ground worker for the Laskhar-e-Taiba, the officials said.

"He was in close contact with various Kashmiri origin terrorists based in PoJK, through encrypted messaging applications and had received arms/ammunition for further delivery to the terrorists," the official said.

Being a resident of Uri, Chalkoo utilised his knowledge of the local terrain to establish contact with terrorists based in PoJK. He used to assist terrorist groups, during infiltration, by providing logistics and transportation of their illegal arms and ammunition in the interior areas of the Kashmir Valley, the officials said.

Teacher Nazam Din, a resident of Kirni Haveli of Poonch district, is a "highly motivated and committed drug peddler", and an over ground worker for terrorists of the Hizbul Mujahideen, they said.

"He had received consignments of narcotics from across the LoC for onward delivery to drug peddlers, even in Punjab. He was in constant touch with hardcore terrorists in Pakistan, who ex-filtrated for terrorist training and are currently active in terrorist activities from PoJK," the official said.

"He smuggled drugs from Pakistan, and the money generated through illegal trade of these drugs was used for fuelling unrest as well as financing the terrorism activities in the Kashmir valley, as well as other parts of the country, being an important source in the narco-terror system," the official said.