Suhail Khan
Srinagar, Dec 15 : The Jammu and Kashmir administration has terminated the services of 103 firemen and firemen drivers after an investigation found their appointments fraudulent, the result of large-scale tampering with recruitment records.
The order, issued by the Home Department on Monday as per Kashmir Convener declares the appointments “void ab initio” – illegal from the outset – and terminates them with immediate effect.
The action follows a probe by an inquiry committee and a criminal investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which uncovered “large-scale tampering in OMR sheets, fabricated scanned images of answer sheets, and illegal manipulation of merit lists.”
According to Government Order No. 608-Home of 2025 of which a copy lies with Kashmir Convener reads, the ACB’s investigation established that 106 candidates were awarded marks “far in excess of what they actually secured” through a process involving “criminal conspiracy and beneficiaries’ admissions.”
The order cites legal precedent, noting that constitutional protections under Article 311, which normally require a hearing before termination, do not apply when appointments are obtained fraudulently. “Their continuation amounts to a perpetuation of illegality, undermining public trust and the sanctity of recruitment processes,” the order states.
Of the 106 individuals identified, three had their appointments cancelled earlier for failing to complete formalities. The remaining 103 have now been removed from service.
Principal Secretary (Home) Chandraker Bharti has directed the Director of Fire and Emergency Services to implement the order immediately. The names of the terminated personnel are listed in a detailed annexure to the order.
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