Srinagar, Feb 15: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday dismissed three government employees, including a police constable, a teacher, and a forest department official, over alleged terror links. In recent years, more than 75 government employees in Jammu and Kashmir have been removed from service for suspected ties to terrorist organizations or networks.
The dismissed employees, who are currently in jail, have been identified as police constable Firdous Ahmad Bhat, school teacher Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, and forest department orderly Nisar Ahmad Khan.
According to officials, the Lieutenant Governor invoked Article 311(2)(c) of the Indian Constitution to terminate the employees after thorough investigations by law enforcement and intelligence agencies confirmed their involvement with terror groups.
This action followed a security review meeting chaired by the Lieutenant Governor, during which he directed police and security agencies to intensify anti-terror operations aimed at neutralizing terrorists and dismantling the terror ecosystem. He also emphasized that those supporting or financing terrorism would face severe consequences.
“Every perpetrator and supporter of terrorism must be held accountable,” LG Sinha said during the meeting on February 13. “We must strengthen our intelligence capabilities and take decisive actions to ensure the safety of citizens.”
A senior security official said the government employees terminated by the LG Manoj Sinha were serving the terrorist organisations and not the nation. “They were betraying and sabotaging the same country which was feeding them. Look at the curious case of Firdous Ahmad Bhat, a police constable, who was orchestrating the terror attacks instead of protecting the lives of common citizen,” the official said.
Firdous Ahmad Bhat (Constable, J&K Police)
Bhat was engaged as SPO in 2005 and became constable in 2011. He was arrested in May 2024 and is facing terror charges and currently lodged in Kot Bhalwal Jail. It is interesting to note that Bhat after being confirmed as a constable was posted at a sensitive position of Electronic Surveillance Unit in the J&K Police. However, he started working for terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).
The official said that Bhat got exposed in May 2024 when two terrorists- Waseem Shah and Adnan Beigh- were arrested in Anantnag with a pistol and hand grenade.
“Investigation revealed that Firdous Bhat had tasked two other local terrorists of LeT- Omas and Aquib- to provide arms and ammunition to Waseem and Adnan to carry out terror attacks on non-local civilians and tourists visiting Anantnag. During the interrogation Firdous Bhat revealed his sinister design,” he said.
The official said that a sizable quantity of arms including pistols, ammunition, explosives and narcotics was recovered from his residential quarter in Police Housing Colony, Qamarwari in Srinagar and a newly constructed house in Ganie Mohalla, Mattan, Anantnag.
“ 3 KG of Charas was also recovered from his residence which was dropped by LeT terrorist Sajid Jutt alias Saifullah through drone in Samba few days earlier. Investigation further revealed that Firdous Bhat was a close associate of Sajid Jutt helped him operate a large terrorist network from Pakistan,” he said.
The official further said that Bhat while serving in J&K Police was also working for Hizbul Mujahideen’s Commander Khursheed Dar, LeT terrorist Hamza Bhai and Abu Zarar. He not only provided classified information about security forces movement, collection, storage and delivery of arms ammunition on the instruction of terrorists but also provided targets for killing and guided terror attacks,” he added.
Sources further said that Firdous Bhat in 2020 guided the LeT terrorists which led to the killing of J&K Police Sub-inspector Ashraf Bhat. On 18th May 2024 Firdous Bhat gave the target and guided the terrorists to attack tourists in which two tourists from Rajasthan were injured at Yanner, Pahalgam. He was also involved in radicalising and luring the youth to join terror ranks. Using his police constable cover Bhat was transporting arms, ammunition and explosives for terrorists,” he said.
“After Firdous Bhat became constable in 2011, he used to send terrorists to the residence of government officials and businessmen with the intent of blackmailing. He did not spare his colleagues in the police department. In one such instance he sent HM terrorists to the house of a Sub-Inspector and also made threatening calls on behalf of LeT to the families of police officers. They were scared so one spoke out,” the official said.
Nisar Ahmad Khan (Orderly, Forest Dept)
Nisar Ahmad Khan joined the forest department in 1996 as a helper and is currently posted as an orderly at the forest range office, Verinag, Anantnag.
According to top security officials who have thoroughly investigated his terror links said that Nisar Khan is a venomous traitor hiding within the govt ranks and mole planted by terrorist organisation Hizbul Mujahideen to destabilise the Indian state.
“While working as a govt servant he covertly joined Hizbul Mujahideen and started collaborating with separatist forces. He traded his loyalty for bloodshed and duty for destruction,” he said, adding that his links with Hizbul Mujahideen first came to light in the year 2000 when a landmine blast at Chamaran in Anantnag District.
The officials said that the attack was executed by Hizbul Mujahideen in which Ghulam Hasan Bhat, the then power minister of J&K was killed. Nasir Khan and another accused had provided logistical support to the terrorists to assassinate the then Minister along with two police personnel.
“Nasir also helped in smuggling RDX used in the blast and coordinated the terror attack. He was arrested, chargesheeted but later acquitted in 2006 due to witnesses’ backtracking, intimidating environment inside and outside the courts,” he said.
The official further said that it was not honorable acquittal. Arms, ammunition and wireless set seized from his house was not considered as evidence by the trial court and also witnesses and associates backtracked on their testimony.
“Those days gun wielding terrorists would roam freely in the villages and people were scared to speak out against Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists. Even officers and witnesses were reluctant to testify against persons like Nasir in the court,” he said.
The security officials said that despite his acquittal in 2006, Nasir Khan continued his work for the terror group. His role was once again exposed in 2016 and he played a central role during the valley’s unrest following the killing of HM terrorist, Burhan Wani.
“He mobilised mobs, incited violent protests and transformed the streets into a terror battleground. He also mobilised youth for stone pelting and arranged weapons to attack security forces. During that period 4 FIRs were lodged against him. After the killing of another HM terrorist Yawar Nisar Wagay in 2017, Nasir once again played a key role in organising stone pelting and attacks against security forces.
The official said Khan was detained under PSA for 8 months. However, no departmental action was taken against him because his senior officers were scared of him. Officers in the criminal justice system too were intimidated so he has continued his work as an asset of HM terror outfit and providing support to carry out attacks on civilians and police personnel,” he added.
Mohammad Ashraf Bhat (Teacher, Education Dept)
Ashraf Bhat, a resident of Reasi was appointed as Rehbar-e-Taleem Teacher in 2008. Rehbar-e-Taleem Teacher system, a temporary job, was introduced in 2000. He was regularised and became permanent teacher in June 2013.
According to an intelligence officer based in Jammu said, teacher Ashraf pledged allegiance to Lashkar -e-Toiba and became an overground worker. He started attacking the same Indian state which was providing him salary and putting the food on his table. For many years his activities were undetected and eventually came to light in 2022 and he was arrested and currently lodged in district jail, Reasi.
“During the course of a painstaking investigation, it was revealed that Ashraf Bhat’s handler was the most wanted LeT terrorist Mohd Qasim, who is based in Pakistan. LeT found him to be very useful because as a teacher Ashraf Bhat was best placed to radicalise youth and carry out terror activities under the cover of a respectable, noble profession.
The official said that Bhat helped LeT to raise finances for terror activities and coordinated transport of arms, ammunition and explosives. As an active terror associate, Ashraf also used his cover to deliver threat letters to the targeted individuals identified by LeT handlers based in Pakistan.
“Even after he was arrested he had no remorse for working with a terror outfit and in fact while he was lodged in jail, he managed to communicate with some of his handlers in Pakistan through his aides. It is also learnt that he is actively involved in radicalising inmates in district jail, Reasi,” he said.
