J&K Bank sacks senior employee for allegedly being ‘threat to state security’
The action was taken against Chief Manager Sajad Ahmad Bazaz, who is also a columnist for the ‘Greater Kashmir’ newspaper.
The Jammu and Kashmir Bank on Saturday terminated the services of a senior employee for allegedly being a “threat to the security of the state”, reported PTI.
The action was taken against Chief Manager Sajad Ahmad Bazaz, who was set to retire by the month-end. He is also a columnist on economic affairs and banking for the Greater Kashmir newspaper.
The managing director and chief executive officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, Baldev Prakash, said in the dismissal order that it was not expedient to hold an inquiry into Bazaz’s conduct in the “interest of the security of state”.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration is a major shareholder in the bank. This was the first time that an employee of the bank has been sacked without conducting any formal investigation, reported The Hindu.
Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said that the Union Territory administration has normalised the practice of dismissing government employees on the allegations of being a security threat.
“The accused isn’t given a chance to prove his innocence with the government acting as judge and jury,” the former chief minister said in a tweet. “This hooliganism is meant to frighten Kashmiris into submission.”
Selectively terminating Kashmiri employees by wrongfully dubbing them as terrorist sympathisers & pro ISI has been normalised. The accused isn’t given a chance to prove his innocence with the government acting as judge & jury. This hooliganism is meant to frighten Kashmiris into… https://t.co/JcFRSkgFo8
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 20, 2023
Saturday’s development comes a month after the Jammu and Kashmir administration terminated the services of three government employees for allegedly working with Pakistan-based militant outfits.
In three orders issued on July 16, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha removed Kashmir University Public Relations Officer Faheem Aslam, Revenue Department officer Murawath Hussain Mir and police constable Arshid Ahmad Thoker.
Sinha had issued the orders citing Article 311(2)(C) of the Constitution, which 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).