The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday dismissed three government employees including a police official and a spokesperson of the Kashmir University for allegedly working with Pakistan-based militant outfits.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha issued the orders citing Article 311(2)(C) of the Constitution. The provision allows a public servant to be removed without an inquiry if the president or governor is satisfied that an investigation or an opportunity to the accused person to be heard is not required in the interests of state security.

In April 2021, Sinha had constituted a Special Task Force to take action under this provision. Since then, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has removed 52 government employees under Article 311(2)(C).

In three orders issued on Sunday, Sinha removed Public Relations Officer of Kashmir University, Faheem Aslam, Revenue Department officer, Murawath Hussain Mir and police constable Arshid Ahmad Thoker.

All three of them have been accused of “working with Pakistani militancy outfits, providing logistics to militants, propagating militants ideology, raising militant finances and furthering secessionist agenda”, an unidentified official told PTI.

Aslam had been working as the Public Relations Officer at the university since 2008. He had also worked as a correspondent for the English daily Greater Kashmir, reported The Indian Express.

Unidentified officials claimed that Aslam “endorsed secessionist ideology” and has been “a key propagandist for terrorists and terror outfits in Kashmir Valley”, PTI reported. The officials also claimed that Aslam’s social media posts have “demonstrated his hatred” for the country and described the security forces as “Indian Occupational Forces”.

Mir was appointed as junior assistant in the revenue department in 1985. Thoker was appointed as a constable in Jammu and Kashmir Police’s armed wing in 2006 and was later shifted to its Executive Wing in 2009.

Earlier in February, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had terminated the services of three government employees, alleging that they were involved in “anti-national” activities. The three employees were Manzoor Ahmad Itoo, a junior engineer in Bandipora, Syed Saleem Andrabi, an employee in the Social Welfare Department in Kupwara and Mohd Aurif Sheikh, a teacher in Government Middle School in Reasi.

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