Illegal appointment of Geelani’s grandson, Salahuddin’s son
Having terminated the services of the top separatist leader late Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s grandson and the Hizbul Mujahideen supremo Syed Salahuddin’s son, the government agencies in Jammu and Kashmir have started looking into the possible links of the selection committee members to the Kashmiri separatists and militants.
While Geelani’s grandson Aneesul Islam’s services have been terminated as a Manager at Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Salahuddin’s son Syed Moeed Yousuf has been dismissed as a Manager at the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI). Both, according to government officials, has been selected, appointed and quickly promoted because of their relationship to the valley’s most influential separatist families. However, their termination orders were issued under an amendment to the law without holding any inquiry, serving them any charge sheet or mentioning any reasons.
According to official sources, the youngest son of the Hizbul Mujahideen chief, who had a Masters in Computer Science, had been appointed during Omar Abdullah’s National Conference – Congress coalition government while Geelani’s grandson had been appointed during Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP-BJP government during the street turmoil created by Burhan wani’s death in an encounter in 2016.
Even as public recruitment notification had been issued in both the cases, agencies are reportedly probing why the one in EDI was published in just an insignificant newspaper with very limited circulation. According to the highly placed sources, agencies have put under scanner connections and relationships of the chairpersons and members of both the selection committees. At least two members of one selection committee had been picked up from the Jammu and Kashmir Bank on account of their proximity to the then Finance Minister and the Chief Minister. One member of the EDI selection committee is reportedly also involved in three or four separate cases of granting loans without proper security to the tune of around Rs.40 crore at different branches and offices of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank. Sources said that charges against him had been established and he could be arrested any time in the near future.
Government officials insist that “gross irregularities and favouritism” had been noticed in both the selections. “Even before completing their probationary period, the blue eyed boys were promoted to higher positions and pay scales”, said a senior officer.
Sources said that after terminating the services of the two members of the valley’s most influential separatist families, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s government is keen to know how the selection committee chairpersons and members had taken dictation and directions from the “forces at war with the nation”. “Full trail of the secret operation will be investigated and made public”, said an official. “If any chairman or member of the selection committee is found involved in the anti-national activity and breach of trust, necessary action will be initiated also against him”.
