Govt revokes suspension of J&K lecturer who was removed after appearing before SC in Article 370 case

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Sunday revoked the suspension of Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, a senior political science lecturer at a government school in Srinagar, who was removed after his appearance before the Supreme Court over the abrogation of Article 370.

A few weeks back, the Supreme Court had asked Attorney General R Venkata Ramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to look into the suspension.

A senior lecturer at a government school in Srinagar, Bhat was termed as a “delinquent officer” and suspended by the principal secretary to the government, school education, Alok Kumar. “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.

A five-judge Constitution bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud had assembled to hear the petitions challenging the changes made to Article 370 when Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal raised the issue. Sibal told the bench that Bhat had been suspended a day after he appeared before the top court.

The CJI then told Attorney General (AG) R Venkataramani, “Just see what has happened. Somebody who appears in this court is suspended. Have a look into it. Just talk to the Lieutenant Governor.”

The Chief Justice added that “if there is something apart from this, that’s different” and wondered, “but why in such close succession to appearance before us!” Mehta, however, said that such actions cannot be by way of retribution.