The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday terminated the services of 103 firemen found illegally selected in the recruitment process of Fire & Emergency Services Department (F&ES) in 2020 pursuant to the findings of an Inquiry Committee and the investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
The Anti-Corruption Bureau’s investigation also established that the recruitment process was illegal and fraudulently manipulated.
An order by J&K home department stated that the findings of the Inquiry Committee, the preliminary verification report and investigation status report submitted by ACB showed manipulation of OMR sheets and merit lists.
“The admission of several candidates regarding payment of illegal consideration and the Supreme Court’s established directions on illegal/void appointments, the Competent Authority is fully satisfied that the appointments of these 103 individuals were not made on merit and were secured through fraudulent manipulation,” said the order by Chandrakar Bharti, principal secretary to government.
It said that their continuation amounts to a perpetuation of illegality, undermining public trust and the sanctity of recruitment processes.
“In view of the facts and circumstances, it is hereby ordered that the appointments of the 103 candidates as ‘fireman’ in the F&ES Department are declared illegal, void ab initio, and are hereby terminated with immediate effect. These individuals shall accordingly cease to be borne on the establishment of the F&ES,” it said.
{{/usCountry}}“In view of the facts and circumstances, it is hereby ordered that the appointments of the 103 candidates as ‘fireman’ in the F&ES Department are declared illegal, void ab initio, and are hereby terminated with immediate effect. These individuals shall accordingly cease to be borne on the establishment of the F&ES,” it said.
{{/usCountry}}The Government had constituted an Inquiry Committee in December 2022 to examine allegations of irregularities in the recruitment process of Firemen/Fireman Drivers conducted in 2020 by the F&ES Department.
The Committee, after detailed examination, recommended a criminal investigation by the ACB,J&K into allegations of paper leakage, manipulation of results, and other issues. Pursuant to these findings, the Anti-Corruption Bureau, J&K registered an FIR on 02.01.2025 and submitted a preliminary verification report establishing large-scale tampering in OMR sheets, fabricated scanned images of answer sheets, and illegal manipulation of merit lists.