Kashmir lets police officer alter birth date, rescinds order

JAMMU - A senior Jammu and Kashmir police officer was forced to retire after he was found to have fudged his date of birth to prolong his service by two years, and the state government reiterating Saturday that the decision was correct and irrevocable.

Inspector General of Police (Security) Farooq Ahmad was retired Friday evening after the state government withdrew its own order that accepted the officers changed date of birth.

The state government Saturday admitted that it had allowed Farooq Ahmad to alter his date of birth in 1998, three years after he was inducted into the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1995.

The officer had applied for change of his date of birth and that was accepted by the state government in 1998, when Farooq Abdullah was the chief minister and also held the home portfolio.

An official spokesman said in a statement circulated to media Saturday evening that the discrepancy was pointed out by the ministry of home affairs that said that once the officer was inducted into the IPS, he is governed by the central government and the state government had no authority to accept the date of birth of the officer.

The spokesman said that in the light of this, the state government decided to rescind its order” and Farooq Ahmed will be considered to have retired Feb 28, 2009, as per his original date of birth - Feb 5, 1949.

The treatment of the period the officer has over-stayed in service, from March 1, 2009, to Feb 18, 2011, will be decided separately, the statement added.