J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on August 22, ordered the termination of two government employees from Kupwara district over their direct involvement with the Pakistan-backed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The dismissals were carried out under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution of India, which allows termination without a formal inquiry if it is deemed necessary in the interest of state security.
The terminated employees were identified as Khurshid Ahmad Rather (KAR), a government school teacher from Karnah, and Siyad Ahmad Khan (SAK), an Assistant Stockman with the Sheep Husbandry Department, hailing from Keran. Both individuals, officials confirmed, were found to have acted as overground workers (OGWs) and active facilitators of arms smuggling, working in close coordination with LeT handlers across the Line of Control (LoC).
Investigations revealed that Khurshid Ahmad Rather, initially appointed as a Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) in 2003 and later confirmed as a permanent teacher in 2008, abused his government position to act as a conduit for Pakistan-based Lashkar operatives. Instead of fulfilling his duties to educate children in remote Kupwara, Rather allegedly chose to become an active facilitator of terrorism.
Police records identify him as a terror associate/OGW of LeT. He was arrested on January 26, 2024, and is currently lodged in District Jail, Kupwara.
On January 25, 2024, Kupwara police received credible intelligence about two Pakistan-occupied J&K (PoJK) based LeT operatives—Manzoor Ahmad Sheikh alias Shakoor and Qazi Mohammad Khushal—who were engaged in smuggling arms and explosives into India. Their operation, officials said, was actively facilitated by Rather, along with local associates Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, Ghulam Sarwar Rather, and Qazi Fazal.
Subsequent investigations and arrests led to the recovery of a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including:
- 05 AK-Type MP5 Rifles (Short)
- 05 Magazines and 16 rounds
- 01 AK-47 Rifle with magazine and 20 rounds
- 02 Pistols with magazines
Crucially, three MP5 rifles, three magazines, and 16 rounds were recovered based on the disclosure of Khurshid Ahmad Rather himself, highlighting his deep involvement in terror logistics.
The second government employee, Siyad Ahmad Khan, was equally found to be entrenched in terror support activities. On January 12, 2024, Khan was intercepted at Peer Baba Shrine, Keran, while allegedly transporting weapons to LeT terrorists. A naka party comprising police and army personnel recovered an AK-47 rifle from Khan, while his associate Rafaqat Ahmad Khan was found in possession of a pistol, magazine, and five live rounds.
A case under the Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [FIR No. 02/2024] was registered against him at Police Station Keran. Officials said Khan had been conducting his activities in a “highly secretive and veiled manner” to avoid detection but was eventually caught due to precise intelligence inputs.
Confirming the action, a senior government functionary said, “On the basis of incriminating material and intelligence reports, the Lieutenant Governor was satisfied that the activities of the two employees were detrimental to the security of the state. Their dismissal under Article 311(2)(c) was necessary in the larger interest of national security.”
Article 311(2)(c) has increasingly been invoked in J&K since 2021, with dozens of employees terminated for proven or suspected links to terror groups. The provision allows the government to bypass departmental inquiries in cases where national security is at stake.
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