In a decisive blow to the ‘backdoor culture,’ the government terminates 103 illegal F&ES appointees, upholding its ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy against corruption.
By Ajaz Rashid
In a decisive crackdown aimed at restoring the sanctity of public institutions and upholding the merit of aspiring youth, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday terminated the services of 103 personnel from the Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) Department. The historic move comes after a rigorous and transparent two-stage investigation conclusively established that the selection of these candidates in the 2020 recruitment drive was the result of a “planned criminal conspiracy” involving fraud, manipulation of records, and the subversion of the recruitment process.
The government’s action serves as a stern message that the administration maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption and is committed to dismantling the ecosystems of favor and nepotism that had previously plagued recruitment drives. Government Order No. 608-Home of 2025, dated December 15, 2025, declared the appointments of these individuals “void ab initio,” effectively meaning they were legally invalid from the very start due to the fraudulent means employed to secure them. The administration clarified that the protections usually available to government employees under Article 311 of the Constitution do not apply in cases where the very foundation of the appointment is criminal and unlawful.
The roadmap to this major cleanup began in December 2022, when the government, acting on complaints of irregularities, constituted a high-level Inquiry Committee under Government Order No. 1513-JK(GAD). This committee was tasked with a detailed scrutiny of the selection process for Firemen and Fireman Drivers. Unlike previous eras where such allegations might have been swept under the rug, the current administration empowered the panel to dig deep. The committee’s findings were damning, pointing to the leakage of examination papers, interference in the evaluation process, and the manipulation of official records. Based on these serious observations, the committee recommended a criminal investigation, showcasing the government’s intent to not just identify the rot but to excise it completely.
Following this recommendation, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Jammu and Kashmir registered FIR No. 01/2025 on January 2, 2025. What followed was a sophisticated technical and documentary investigation that unearthed irrefutable evidence. The ACB’s probe, referenced in letters dated November 2025, confirmed “large-scale tampering” of Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets. Investigators found that scanned images of answer sheets had been fabricated and merit lists illegally manipulated to favor specific candidates. The probe concluded that 106 candidates had been the beneficiaries of this fraud, awarded marks far in excess of what they had actually secured through their own merit.
Of the 106 identified beneficiaries of this scam, three had already been removed from the list earlier by the Director of F&ES for failing to complete mandatory joining formalities. The remaining 103 individuals, who had managed to enter the service through what the government described as “fraudulent manipulation,” have now been shown the door. The government, citing Supreme Court judgments such as Vishwanatha Pillai Vs State of Kerala and Punjab Urban Planning & Development Authority vs. Karamjit Singh, noted that individuals who obtain employment through fraud never legally acquire the status of a government employee. Therefore, they are not entitled to a departmental inquiry or the principles of natural justice typically afforded to honest civil servants. The administration emphasized that continuing their services would amount to “perpetuation of illegality” and would undermine public trust.
The termination order was comprehensive, releasing the full details of every individual involved to ensure complete transparency. The list of terminated personnel spans across various districts, reflecting the widespread nature of the crackdown. The individuals identified in the government order include Sayyar Ahmad Thokar (Pulwama), Gulzar Ahmad Dar (Budgam), Bilal Ahmad Bhat (Bandipora), Mudasir Ahmad Malik (Budgam), Parvaz Ahmad Bhat (Pulwama), Bilal Ahmad Shah (Ganderbal), Gowhar Ahmad Shah (Pulwama), Jarnail Singh (Jammu), Ashaq Hussain Tantry (Budgam), Umar Ahmad Khan (Bandipora), Basharat Gull (Bandipora), Shameem Ahmad Bhat (Budgam), Shafat Ahmad Rather (Bandipora), Shoukat Ahmad Sheikh (Pulwama), Ikhlaq Yousuf Lone (Bandipora), Shabir Ahmad (Pulwama), Mohammad Obade Shah (Ganderbal), Shivam Choudhary (Jammu), Omer Farooq Sheikh (Ganderbal), and Murtaza Bashir (Bandipora).
The order further listed Fayaz Ahmad Ganie (Pulwama), Irfan Ahmad (Doda), Harish Kumar (Jammu), Sajad Ahmad Dar (Srinagar), Aamir Hussain Lone (Shopian), Mohd Iqbal Sofi (Srinagar), Gh Hassan Wani (Baramulla), Arshid Nazir Lone (Anantnag), Yaseen Ahmed (Doda), Shahbaz Ahmad Sheikh (Pulwama), Ashiq Ahmad Khan (Srinagar), Mubashir Majeed (Anantnag), Umar Qasim Bhat (Pulwama), Syed Parveez Seraj (Shopian), Shabir Ahmad Bhat (Budgam), Shoket Ali (Doda), Rashid Lateef (Pulwama), Rayees Ahmad Dar (Srinagar), Shabir Ahmad Dar (Srinagar), Tahir Hussian (Srinagar), Riyaz Ahmmad Bhat (Srinagar), Bilal Ahmad Gani (Budgam), Amit Saini (Jammu), Sajad Ahmad Ganie (Baramulla), Mir Naseer Ahmad (Pulwama), Imran Hussain Shah (Poonch), Basharat Hussain Mir (Srinagar), Abdul Qayoom Ganie (Budgam), Naresh Kumar (Jammu), Sameer Ahmad Parry (Baramulla), and Irshad Ahmad Ganaie (Srinagar).
Also named in the termination list were Aaqib Mushtaq (Shopian), Ahmer Shafi (Doda), Rouf Ahmad Bhat (Baramulla), Umer Farooq Sanai (Budgam), Amir Isahq Rather (Shopian), Mohammad Lateef Dar (Srinagar), Ishfaq Ahamd (Baramulla), Umar Majeed Dar (Srinagar), Umer Hamid Mir (Srinagar), Sajad Ahmad Rather (Budgam), Mudasir Ahmad Tali (Budgam), Ferooz Ahmad Bhat (Budgam), Adil Mushtaq (Srinagar), Abid Hussain Lone (Budgam), Shamsher Singh (Jammu), Raashid Hussain (Kishtwar), Umer Farooq (Shopian), Aftab Ahmed (Doda), Mohd Mubaser (Doda), Saleem Akhter (Doda), Bilal Ahmad Ganaie (Budgam), Aejaz Ahmad Ganai (Pulwama), Tariq Ahmad Reshi (Baramulla), Jaffer Iqbal (Doda), Mashooq Ahmad (Bandipora), Arif Mohd Dar (Anantnag), Nazir Ahmad Sheikh (Budgam), Muneer Ah Bahar (Bandipora), Mohd Ahsan (Doda), Zahid Ahmad Khan (Shopian), Irfan Ahmed (Doda), Jamsheed Ahmad Wagay (Bandipora), Zahoor Ahmad (Budgam), Zahid Muzfar Mir (Kupwara), Shakeel Ahmad Mir (Budgam), Tariq Ahmad Lone (Baramulla), Shahzad Ahmad Mir (Kulgam), Mohmmad Altaf Mir (Budgam), Aamir Gul (Budgam), Ishtaq Ahmad (Poonch), Irfan Hussain (Jammu), Riaz Mohd (Jammu), Saddam Hussain (Doda), Bashir Ahmad (Doda), Rakesh Lal Bhagat (Jammu), Ram Paul (Kathua), Ajay Kumar (Kathua), Mohmad Maqbool Gojri (Baramulla), Shabir Ahmad Rather (Srinagar), Farooz Ahmad Najar (Budgam), Mohd Saleem War (Budgam), and Sahil Khajuria (Jammu).
This decision is being hailed as a victory for the thousands of meritorious candidates who work hard to secure government jobs. By removing those who cut corners, the J&K administration has reiterated that the era of backdoor appointments is over. The Competent Authority stated clearly that the continuation of these individuals in service would have been an affront to the honest aspirants of the Union Territory. With this order, the department has been cleansed of the fraudulent elements effective immediately, paving the way for a more transparent and credible recruitment environment in the future.
Leave a Reply