Vowing To Go After Terror Sympathisers And OGWs, L-G Manoj Sinha Terminates 2 J&K Govt Workers – News18

Last Updated:November 29, 2024, 22:46 IST

According to top sources, Sinha terminated the services of two government employees over terror links in the interest of the security of the union territory

Acting tough against the terror ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir, lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Friday terminated the services of two government employees over terror links. According to top sources, Sinha has terminated the services of two government employees in the interest of security of the union territory.

According to top sources in the law enforcement agencies of J&K, “The lieutenant governor invoked 311 (2) (c) of the Constitution of India to axe Ab Rehman Naika and Zahir Abbas after painstaking investigation by law enforcement and intelligence agencies clearly established their terror links.”

As per the dossier, a copy of which has been obtained by News18, Ab Rehman Naika (pharmacist in health department), a resident of Devsar, Kulgam, was appointed as a medical assistant in 1992. His links with Hizbul Mujahideen were unearthed when police officials started investigating the killing of a political person, Ghulam Hassan Lone of Devsar. Lone was a staunch nationalist, and all his three sons are serving in security forces. He was killed by terrorists in August 2021.

Investigations revealed that Ab Rehman Naika was one of the plotters of the killing of Ghulam Lone to create terror and a situation of insecurity among patriotic people. “Investigation further revealed that Ab Rehman Naika played a pivotal role in nourishing, strengthening and proliferating a conducive ecosystem for secessionism and terrorism, not only in his local area of Kulgam but also in the neighbouring districts of Shopian and Anantnag,” sources in law enforcement agencies said.

After Ghulam Hassan Lone’s killing, the police investigation tracked the footprints of overground workers (OGWs) who were providing logistical support to terrorists. Ab Rehman Naika and associates were finally nabbed with hand grenades and AK 47 ammunition. During the interrogation, Ab Rehman Naika confessed he had received direction from his handlers in Pakistan to carry out a terrorist attack in Kulgam by lobbing grenades at security forces and political persons. He also admitted that, as an overground worker, his job was to conduct reconnaissance of targets.

In the killing of Ghulam Hassan Lone, Ab Rehman Naika and his associates had kept a watch on his movements, and, on the day of the killing, he mounted surveillance of the area so that terrorists could get a safe passage without getting identified or intercepted. A source said, “During further investigation, we unearthed his role and acts for Hizbul Mujahideen and how he facilitated attacks on police personnel. He has been a rabid OGW and hardcore terror associate for various outfits, in particular Hizbul Mujahideen. He had a free run for a very long time. He undermined and sabotaged the very system from which he derived livelihood. Moreover, he used his privilege as a government employee to target people, police, and political leaders. It is so unfortunate that money of Indian taxpayers was used to pay salary to the terrorist like Ab Rehman Naika.”

Sources added that, in a recent security review meeting, L-G Manoj Sinha had vowed to wipe out terrorists, their supporters, and those aiding and abetting them inside the system.

The second government employee whose services have been terminated has been identified as Zahir Abbas, a teacher in the school education department. Abbas, a resident of Badhat Saroor, Kishtwar, is the second employee whose services have been terminated by Sinha on Friday. Zahir, a graduate from Aligarh Muslim University, was appointed as a teacher in 2012 and posted at Government High School, Bugrana. He was arrested in September 2020 for harbouring three active terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen (Mohd Amin, Reyaz Ahmad, and Mudasir Ahmad) in Kishtwar. He is currently lodged in Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal.

“During the investigation of terror activities in Kishtwar, the role of Zahir as a hardcore OGW came to light. As a teacher, he was expected to serve the nation, but he betrayed his country, aligned with Pakistani terrorists and provided arms, ammunition and logistical support to terror outfits, in particular Hizbul Mujahideen. He turned against the same country which provided him and his family livelihood and a life of dignity. After his arrest, Zahir gave the inputs on hideouts where arms and ammunition were stored and also identified two other OGWs, namely Gulzar Ahmad and Mohd Hanief,” a law enforcement agency source revealed.

A top security official said Zahir Abbas was also providing critical information about security forces’ movements to his handlers in Pakistan. “He was also helping terrorists on the ground with food, shelter, arms and also enabling them to evade capture and plan attacks. Careful analysis of the tactics used and the targets chosen by Zahir Abbas provided valuable insight into the modus operandi of terror groups. His presence in a school, where he had the potential to influence, indoctrinate, and radicalise students, fundamentally contradicts the principles of education and poses a direct threat to the stability and security of the nation. Even today, discreetly obtained intelligence input suggests that Zahir Abbas continues to indulge in radical activities in jail,” a source said.

Sources added that these two cases are clear examples of Pakistan ISI and Pak-based terror outfits’ deep infiltration into the system, and it also reveals terror outfits’ sinister strategy to sustain terror activities and secure finances from the Indian exchequer while subverting the system from within.