Shopian firing: FIR against Army major unfortunate, says Lt Gen Devraj Anbu

The Indian Army has reacted to the FIR lodged in the case of two civilians killed in the firing in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district.

The Northern Army commander Lt Gen Devraj Anbu said that ab FIR against the Army Major was unfortunate, in such a case a generic FIR should have been filed.

"That is an unfortunate thing, in such a case a generic FIR should have been filed. I think they have prematurely put the name of an individual, I am sure when they investigate truth will come out," Lt Gen D.Anbu, told ANI.

"It is an initial step, they have lodged FIR. Everything will come out in an investigation. Notwithstanding what state government did, we had our own inquiry and are clear that we responded when we were provoked to the ultimate," he added.

Two civilians were killed when Army personnel fired at a stone-pelting mob in Shopian on Saturday, triggering protests and prompting Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to order an inquiry into the incident.

On Sunday, the police registered the FIR under sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) against the personnel of 10, Garhwal unit, of the Army. The Major, who led the Army personnel at the time of the incident, was also mentioned in the FIR.

However, the Army sources have claimed that the Army major, who was mentioned in the FIR over death of two civilians in the firing incident in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, was not present at the spot of the incident.

The BJP strongly protested the FIR, even as its coalition partner in Jammu and Kashmir, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), asserted that the FIR will be taken to a "logical conclusion".

PDP chief and J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said she did not believe the FIR would have a demoralising effect on the Army.

OneIndia News