New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha sacked three government employees on Saturday over alleged links to terrorist organsations. The sacked individuals include a police constable, a teacher and an orderly in the forest department. The move follows Sinha’s recent statement promising stringent action against those aiding terrorism through financial and logistical support.
According to sources, police and intelligence agencies conducted an investigation that uncovered the trio’s connections to terror groups. The dismissed employees have been identified as Firdous Ahmad Bhat, a police constable arrested in May 2024; Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, a teacher currently in a district jail; and Nisar Ahmad Khan, who served as an orderly in the forest department. Sources said that Firdous Ahmad Bhat and Mohammad Ashraf Bhat were affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba, while Nisar Ahmad Khan was linked to Hizbul Mujahideen.
Recent Jammu attacks
The action comes days after Lieutenant Governor Sinha chaired two security review meetings in response to recent incidents along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu. On February 11, an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Akhnoor sector claimed the lives of two Army personnel, including a captain. A day earlier, a soldier was injured in cross-border firing in the Rajouri sector.
In a meeting held on February 13, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha instructed officials to take “effective steps to wipe out” terrorism in the Jammu region. He spoke of the need to “completely dismantle” the infrastructure and local networks supporting terrorist activities.
Chaired a high-level security review meeting for Jammu Division earlier today. Directed the officials for effective steps to wipe-out terrorism in Jammu region and complete dismantling of the infrastructure and local support of terrorism. pic.twitter.com/eV6PHnRH38
— Office of LG J&K (@OfficeOfLGJandK) February 13, 2025
“We need to take the strongest possible action against those providing logistical and financial support to terrorism. Make sure that acts of individuals or groups trying to create fear in society are termed as terrorist actions and they should be punished as per the law,” he said.
‘Ensure security of citizens’
“Every perpetrator and supporter of terrorism must pay the price. We need to equip ourselves with credible intelligence and act more effectively to neutralise the terrorists and ensure the security of citizens. We must be prepared for conventional as well as non-conventional threats,” Sinha said.
A day earlier, he instructed officials to adopt a “zero-tolerance policy” against terrorism. He also stated that Jammu and Kashmir police and security forces had been given a “free hand to neutralise the terror ecosystem operating in the shadows.” “Those supporting and financing terrorism will have to pay a very heavy price,” he said.
