Kashmiri resident Farooq Ahmad Dar, who was tied to an Army jeep and allegedly used as a human shield, filed a complaint with the state human rights commission against the honouring of the officer accused of the act, ANI reported on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Pakistan on Thursday condemned the Indian Army’s honouring of Major Leetul Gogoi and urged the United Nations to take cognisance of the act. “Awarding Major Leetul Gogoi, who brazenly used a Kashmiri youth as a human shield, is condemnable. It is a crime and an insult to humanity,” PTI quoted Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson, Nafees Zakaria, as saying.
On May 24, Indian Army chief Bipin Rawat had defended the military’s decision to give Gogoi a commendation card for his “sustained efforts” against counter-insurgency. Rawat said that an investigation into the matter was underway, but that there was no reason for major action against the officer.
Gogoi had told reporters that Dar was instigating a crowd of stone-pelters, and that he had saved the lives of his team members by deciding to use him as a human shield.
The incident took place on April 9 during the bye-election for the Srinagar parliamentary seat. A video of the incident went viral on social media and attracted severe criticism for the violation of Dar’s human rights. In the video, Dar was seen tied to the vehicle with a note pinned to his chest that read “this would be the fate of stone-pelters”.
On April 13, the Jammu and Kashmir police had filed an FIR at the Beerwa police station in Budgam district, where the video was believed to have been shot. The Army has set up a Court of Inquiry to look into the matter.
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