Lt Governor Dismisses Two J&K Staffers Over Militancy Allegations, Invoking Article 311
J&K Lt Governor sacks two employees over alleged militant links.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday terminated the services of two more government employees over alleged militant links, invoking Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution of India. The action follows the administration’s “zero-tolerance to terror” policy, under which over 90 government employees have been dismissed in recent years.
The dismissed employees are Farhat Ali Khanday, a Class IV employee in the education department from Banihal, Ramban, and Mohammad Shafi Dar, a Class IV plantation watcher in the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj from Hajin, Bandipora. The orders cited the Lt Governor’s satisfaction that their activities posed a threat to the security of the state, making a formal inquiry unnecessary.
According to officials, Khanday allegedly maintained links with the militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen and used his government position to revive militant networks. He was first investigated in 2011 for involvement in a hawala network funding militant families, and though he secured bail, sources claim he continued his activities. A chargesheet was filed against him in 2022.
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Dar, on the other hand, was reportedly associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba, providing logistical and operational support to militants, including arranging safe houses and sharing sensitive security information. He was apprehended in April 2025 during a joint naka check, with an AK-56 rifle and a grenade recovered from him.
Since the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territories in August 2019, the administration has actively scrutinised government employees under the proviso (c) of Article 311(2), which allows dismissal without inquiry if retention is deemed prejudicial to state security. A Special Task Force was formed to investigate such cases.
The Lt Governor’s office stated that the decision reflects the administration’s commitment to safeguarding public service and ensuring employees’ loyalty to the state, reiterating the strict stance against any anti-national activities in the Union Territory.
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