"Officer who tied Kashmiri man to a jeep protected lives"

The April 9 incident had shocked many who criticised the army for using a human being as a shield

The Indian Army has reportedly given a clean chit to an officer who flared up a controversy after tying up a man as a human shield to his jeep. The Court of Inquiry convened by the Army in Kashmir held that the Major had saved lives by tying the civilian to the Army jeep's bonnet.

The Army had convened a Court of Inquiry on April 15 following the uproar over the incident. The Jammu and Kashmir police had filed an FIR against a Major from the 53 Rashtriya Rifles. The CoI concluded that there was no reason for disciplinary action leave alone court martial against the officer. The five-vehicle convoy led by the Major had soldiers, poll officers, ITBP personnel and policemen. The officer had tied a man up to escape stone-pelting by mobs during bypoll in Srinagar.

Reports suggested that the inquiry had given the major rank officer a clean chit. Further, the official was reportedly appreciated for his presence of mind in avoiding casualties and injuries to all those who were part of the convoy. The Court Of Inquiry recorded statements of the victim in the case, Farooq Ahmad Dar who claimed that he was no stone-pelter but was returning home after casting vote. This was the statement he made to the media as well after the clipping of the incident went viral.

The court of Inquiry held that the officer chose to act to fulfil a mission entrusted to him but in a different manner. The April 9 incident drew flak from many after former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir posted a video. The video showed a man tied up to an Army jeep to stop stone pelters from attacking the convoy. The Army's way of making a shield of a human being was criticised.

OneIndia News