J&K govt suspends lecturer who appeared for petitioners challenging Article 370 abrogation in SC

The lecturer Zahoor Bhat has been attached with Director of School Education's office in Jammu after his name figured in the SC roster among the advocates appearing for petitioners challenging the abrogation of J&K’s special status under Article 370.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): The Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha led Jammu and Kashmri government has suspended a government school lecturer for representing the petitioners in the pleas against the abrogation of Article 370 in the Supreme Court, sources said. The suspended lecturer has been identified as Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, a senior political science lecturer at the Government Higher Secondary School in Jawahar Nagar in Srinagar.

An order issued by the Principal Secretary to the Jammu and Kashmir government School Education Department, Alok Kumar termed the lecturer as “delinquent officer” while placing Bhat under suspension. “Pending enquiry into his conduct, Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, senior lecturer, political science, presently posted at Government Higher Secondary School, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar, is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect for violation of provisions of J&K CSR, Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees (conduct) Rules,1971,” the order read.

During the time of his suspension, Bhat has been asked to report to the Director of School Education's office in Jammu. The Jammu and Kashmir government has appointed Subah Mehta, Joint Director of School Education in Jammu, as the designated inquiry officer to conduct an inquiry into the conduct by the suspended lecturer.

The suspension of the senior lecturer came after a roster of the Supreme Court showed Bhat among the list of advocates appearing for petitioners challenging the abrogation of J&K’s special status under Article 370. The Supreme Court is currently hearing a batch of petitions against the abrogation of article 370 by the BJP government at the Centre on Aug. 5, 2019.