Srinagar- Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday ordered the termination of services of 103 employees of the Fire and Emergency Services Department after an inquiry and an Anti-Corruption Bureau investigation found that their appointments were secured through a manipulated recruitment process in 2020.
The action followed the findings of a government-appointed inquiry committee and a subsequent probe by the ACB into alleged irregularities in the recruitment of firemen and drivers carried out five years ago.
According to an order issued by the Home Department, headed by the Lieutenant Governor, Principal Secretary Chandraker Bharti said the government had constituted an inquiry committee on December 12, 2022 to examine allegations of irregularities in the recruitment process in the Fire and Emergency Services Department.
The committee, after a detailed examination, recommended a criminal investigation by the ACB into allegations of question paper leakage, manipulation of results and other serious lapses. Acting on the recommendation, the ACB registered an FIR on January 2, 2025 and subsequently submitted a preliminary verification report on January 9, followed by further communications on November 21 and November 28.
The ACB investigation revealed large-scale tampering of OMR sheets, fabrication of scanned images of answer sheets and illegal manipulation of merit lists. The probe conclusively established that results were manipulated in favour of 106 candidates, who were awarded marks far exceeding what they had actually secured, pointing to a criminal conspiracy, the order said.
The Home Department stated that it has been established beyond doubt that the appointments of these candidates were obtained fraudulently through criminal means and result manipulation, rendering their appointments void ab initio.
Citing judgments of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as well as the Supreme Court, the order clarified that the protection available to civil servants under Article 311(2) of the Constitution does not apply in cases where the appointment itself is illegal and founded on fraud.
Out of the 106 candidates identified as illegally appointed, the appointments of three had already been cancelled earlier by the Director of Fire and Emergency Services for failure to fulfil mandatory formalities required for government service.
“In view of the facts and circumstances, it is hereby ordered that the appointments of the remaining 103 candidates as Firemen in the Fire and Emergency Services Department, whose names and particulars are annexed, are declared illegal, void ab initio, and are hereby terminated with immediate effect,” the order said.
It added that the continuation of their services would amount to a perpetuation of illegality and would undermine public trust and the sanctity of recruitment processes. The terminated employees will cease to be borne on the rolls of the department with immediate effect.
