Politics Insight News Without Politics
(Pi Bureau)
MUNEEB UL DHAR
JAMMU MAY 24 : A day after Chief of Army Staff recommended commendation letter to the Army Major Leetul Gogoi of 35 Rashtriya Rifles – Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Muneer Khan has said that investigation would continue into the use of a civilian as a “human shield” by an army officer during Srinagar by-poll.
The remark has come a day after the accused army major was given a commendation card by the army chief Bipin Rawat.
“The investigation will carry on…the FIR has not been quashed (against the army major),” Khan said to news reporters in Srinagar on Tuesday.
Pertinently, Kashmir Police has lodged an FIR into the incident at Beerwah Police Station of Central Kashmir’s Budgam District on April 13.
“In the ‘human shield’ video case FIR No 38/17 U/S 342/149/506&367 RPC has been registered in Police Station Beerwah on 13/4/17 . Investigation is being conducted by SDPO Magam.We shall ensure that investigations are taken to a logical conclusion so that action is taken.”
Chief Minister Jammu and Kashmir had posted on her Official Facebook account.
The human shield video had gone viral on social networking sites after Internet ban was lifted in the valley.
The man strapped to the jeep in the video was identified as Farooq Ahmad Dar, a 26-year-old who had spent that morning queuing up outside a polling booth in Arizal’s Chill Bras area, defying a separatist boycott call that contributed to the lowest turnout in almost three decades.
Dar had claimed that he was pulled from his motorcycle by army personnel, tied to the front of the vehicle and driven around from village to village for hours on the poll day.
Following the outrage over the video, the army had ordered an inquiry into the incident.
Despite Army officially stating that the Major’s commendation is for his over all consistent performance in counter insurgency operations spread over a year the commendation letter by the Army Chief is being taken as ‘representation’ of collective intellect of those who sympathize with security forces in the name of national interest.
The victim family of ‘Human Shield’ Farooq Dar told Politics Insight over phone that the Government has decided to award an accused Major in haste. “He is facing charging and investigation is still on how come and accused who has committed a crime be awarded by the Government. This is injustice not only with us but with system itself. Our son is in trauma since this incident is there any value to human rights under Indian Constitution? ” The family asks in dismally.
Political analysts state that such premature commendations would not help Centre to consolidate the general sentiment of Kashmiri people rather it would further the gape between the two which can prove fatal for both.
