Jammu Kashmir: No passport clearance, no govt jobs for anti-nationals, stone pelters

A circular issued by the SSP of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Special Branch, Kashmir, directed all field units to ensure that all such verification be corroborated with local police.

Digital evidence like CCTV footage and photographs must be referred to by officials for security clearance.

It must be ensured that “during verification related to passport, service, and any other verification related to government services/schemes, the subject’s involvement with law and order, stone pelting cases and other crime prejudicial to the security of the state be specifically looked into and the same must be corroborated with local police station records”.

“Also, digital evidence like CCTV footage, photographs, videos and audio clips, quadcopter images available in the records of the police and security forces and security agencies shall be referred to,” the order further read.

Security clearance for any person with involvement in any such cases must be blocked.

Earlier, the government had amended the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Verification of Character and Antecedents) Instructions, 1997, mandating a “satisfactory” CID report for a government job.

Disclosures, including  association of family members close relatives with any political party or organisation, or their participation in any political activity, or links with a foreign mission or organisation, or any prescribed/ prohibited/ banned organisation such as the Jamaat-e-Islami, according to a report in The Indian Express.

The moves came weeks after some government officials were dismissed from service over allegations of anti-State activities.