"Did my duty, not afraid": Maj Gogoi breaks silence on tying man to Army jeep

Major Gogoi was awarded a commendation certificate by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat for sustained efforts on counter-insurgency.

Breaking his silence for the very first time, Major Leetul Gogoi of the Rashtriya Rifles said that he saved lives without firing a single bullet. Criticised by many for tying a man to an Army jeep and commended by many for his resourcefulness, Major Gogoi spoke to the media for the very first time and said that he only did his duty and was not afraid.

"I did what I did to save lives. I took steps to save the lives of people there. Stone pelters started throwing petrol bombs at us. Stones were pelted at us from all sides. I did my duty and I am not afraid," Maj Gogoi said narrating his story for the very first time.

"Four men and I went to a polling booth to check the security situation. When we reached the spot, the crowd started pelting stones at us, even from rooftops. We wanted the smooth conduct of bypolls," Maj Gogoi said. He said that the man who was tied to the jeep was standing at distance 30 meters from the vehicle and tried to flee away. Maj Gogoi suggested that the man who played victim all these days may have been a stone pelter. "He was the person instigating stone pelters. As soon as we tied the man to the jeep, pelting of stones stopped," he added.

Major Gogoi was awarded a commendation certificate by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat for sustained efforts on counter-insurgency. The award was given for his good work in CI operations in the Valley, including this incident," a source said, adding that Gen. Rawat decided to give the Commendation during his recent visit to the Valley and it was presented to Maj Gogoi through proper channels.

OneIndia News