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3 government employees in J&K sacked over terror links
The statement identified the sacked employees as University of Kashmir professor Altaf Hussain Pandit, selection grade constable Ghulam Rasool and Mohammad Maqbool Hajam, a teacher in the education department.
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Srinagar: Three government employees, including a professor and a police constable, were removed from service for alleged link to terror groups, according to orders issued by the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) administration on Friday.
The statement identified the sacked employees as University of Kashmir professor Altaf Hussain Pandit, selection grade constable Ghulam Rasool and Mohammad Maqbool Hajam, a teacher in the education department.
They were removed from service in line in line with recommendations of a special task force set up last year by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to scrutinise and recommend cases for removal from government service, for alleged terror links under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution.
“The Lieutenant Governor is satisfied after considering the facts and circumstances of the case and on the basis of the information available that the activities of Altaf Hussain Pandit, professor in Chemistry department, University of Kashmir S/o Ghulam Hassan Pandit R/o Wadoora Bala, Sopore are such as to warrant his dismissal from service,” the order, signed by the principal secretary to the government , stated. HT has seen a copy of the order.
“The Lieutenant Governor is satisfied under sub-clause (c) of the proviso to clause (2) of Article 311 of the Constitution of India that in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold an enquiry in the case of Mr. Altaf Hassan Pandit...” it added.
Similiar orders were issued in the case of Rasool, a resident of Bharat Bagla in Doda district and Hajam, a resident Lolab.
So far, at least 25 government employees and officers have been sacked by the administration in the past year due to alleged links with terrorists.
Last year, the government had also terminated the services of Anees-us-Islam, grandson of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who was working as a research officer at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre. Two sons of Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin were also sacked along with 11 government employees in July last year.
The dismissals had attracted sharp criticism from mainstream political parties and employees unions, who alleged that the sackings were carried out on “flimsy grounds”.
