NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha on Saturday ordered the sacking of three J&K govt employees — a police constable, a teacher and an orderly in the forest department — for alleged terror activities that include arranging weapons and providing targets for terror attacks as well as fuelling violent protests in the valley, all at the behest of handlers based in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The three terminated staffers — police constable Firdous Ahmad Bhat, teacher Mohammad Ashraf Bhat and orderly in the forest department Nisar Ahmad Khan — were dismissed under Article 311 2(c) of the Constitution of India. Firdous and Ashraf are currently lodged in Kot Bhalwal jail, Jammu and Reasi district jail in separate terror cases, while Nisar had served detention for eight months under the Public Safety Act.
The termination orders were signed by the LG a day after he chaired a security review in Jammu and directed the police and security agencies to step up anti-terror operations by focusing on not just neutralising terrorists but also dismantling the terror eco-system that includes terror sympathisers, moles and violence mongers embedded within the J&K administration.
J&K police constable Firdous Ahmad Bhat was engaged as a special police officer (SPO) in 2005 and became a constable in 2011. He was posted at the electronic surveillance unit of J&K police but started working for Lashker e Taiba.
Firdous was arrested in May 2024 in a case relating to a plot to attack non-locals and tourists in Anantnag. Firdous had tasked two LeT terrorists – Omar and Aquib — to provide arms and ammunition to two arrested terrorists, Waseem Shah and Adnan Beigh, for the attacks.
A considerable quantity of arms including pistols, ammunition, explosives and narcotics was recovered from Firdous’s residential quarter in police housing colony in Qamarwari, Srinagar and another house in Ganie Mohalla, Mattan, Anantnag. Charas weighing 3 kg seized from his residence was dropped by ‘most-wanted’, PoK-based LeT terrorist Sajid Jutt alias Saifullah through a drone in Samba a few days earlier. Investigation further revealed that Firdous Bhat was a close associate of Sajid Jutt and had also worked for Hizbul Mujahideen’s Commander Khursheed Dar, LeT terrorist Hamza Bhai and Abu Zarar,” a source in the intelligence establishment told TOI.
Firdous would leak classified information about Indian security forces’ movement and arrange the collection, storage and delivery of arms and ammunition on the instruction of terrorists. He allegedly provided targets for and even guided terror attacks.
“ Firdous Bhat in 2020 guided LeT terrorists who killed J&K police sub-inspector Ashraf Bhat. On May 18, 2024 Firdous gave the target and guided the terrorists to attack tourists in which two visitors from Rajasthan were injured at Yanner, Pahalgam. He was also involved in radicalising and luring the youth to join terror ranks,” a source revealed.
Another official said that Firdous would also send terrorists to the residence of government officials and businessmen with the intent of blackmailing.
Nisar Ahmad Khan, who joined the forest department in 1996 and was posted as an orderly at the forest range office, Verinag, Anantnag, is described by the security agencies as a “mole planted by Hizbul Mujahideen to destabilise the Indian state”.
His links with Hizbul Mujahideen first came to light in the year 2000 when he was accused in a landmine blast in Anantnag that had killed the then power minister, Ghulam Hasan Bhat. Nasir and another person were accused of providing logistical support to the terrorists for the assassination. Nasir was also charged with smuggling RDX used in the blast. He was however acquitted in 2006, which as per agencies, was due to witnesses turning hostile and the intimidating environment inside and outside the courts.
“Arms, ammunition and wireless set seized from his house were not considered as evidence by the trial court,” the security officials said.
Despite his acquittal in 2006, Nasir continued his work for Hizb. In 2016, following the killing of Burhan Wani, and in 2017 after the killing of Hizb terrorist Yawar Nisar Way, Nasir played a central role in inciting violent protests in the Valley. Four FIRs were lodged against him and he was detained under the Public Safety Act for eight months. However, no departmental action was taken against him and he has continued to work as an asset of Hizb,” the officials said.
Ashraf Bhat, a resident of Reasi was appointed as a temporary teacher in 2000 and regularised in June 2013. A senior intelligence officer based in Jammu observed that Ashraf became an LeT overground worker while in service. His terror links came to light in 2022 and he was arrested. He is currently lodged in District Jail, Reasi.
Ashraf handler was the ‘most-wanted’ LeT terrorist Mohd Qasim based in Pakistan.
“LeT found him to be very useful because as a teacher Ashraf was best placed to radicalise youth and carry out terror activities under the cover of a respectable profession. He helped LeT 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,” said a source.
Nasir is learnt to be actively involved in radicalising inmates of Reasi jail as well.
Over 72 J&K govt employees have been dismissed by J&K LG Manoj Sinha so far under Article 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution of India, over alleged terror links.