J&K govt terminates 103 firemen after probe finds fraud in 2020 recruitment process

Srinagar : The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday terminated the services of 103 firemen appointed in the Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) Department after a probe found recruitment process carried out in 2020 was a major fraud.

According to an order, a copy of which lies with news agency, the appointments were illegal from the outset, as they were secured through tampering of examination records and manipulation of results.

The decision followed findings of a government-appointed inquiry committee and an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Jammu and Kashmir.

The inquiry committee, set up by the government in December 2022 to examine allegations of irregularities in the recruitment of firemen and fireman drivers, submitted its report in February 2024.

Based on its recommendations, the ACB registered a criminal case in January 2025 and carried out a detailed investigation.

According to the order, the ACB found evidence of tampering with OMR answer sheets, fabrication of scanned examination records, manipulation of merit lists and digital data, and deliberate awarding of marks far beyond what candidates had actually scored.

The investigation also recorded instances of criminal conspiracy and admissions by some beneficiaries. The probe concluded that 106 candidates had benefited from the manipulated recruitment process.

However, the appointments of three candidates had already been cancelled earlier by the Director, Fire and Emergency Services for failing to complete mandatory service formalities.

The present order, therefore, applies to the remaining 103 appointees. The government said constitutional safeguards available to civil servants, including protection under Article 311(2), do not apply in cases where appointments themselves are illegal and obtained through fraud.

The order cited rulings of the Supreme Court and High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which have held that such appointments are void and do not require a departmental inquiry before termination.

It stated that the continuation of the illegally appointed personnel would undermine public trust and the integrity of recruitment processes—(KNO)