03 September 2023 – 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 suspended after his appearance before the Supreme Court over the abrogation of Article 370.
Following the action from the school education department, the Supreme Court asked Attorney General R Venkata Ramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to look into the suspension.
Bhat appeared in front of a five-judge Constitution bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud looking into a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution that bestowed special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
The suspension drew criticism from several sections of the civil society.
“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,” states the order.
A senior lecturer at a government school in Srinagar, Bhat was termed a “delinquent officer” and suspended by the principal secretary to the government, school education, Alok Kumar.
