Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission has directed the state government to pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to Farooq Ahmed Dar who was used as a “human shield” by the Army during the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-poll in April.
Mr Dar had said that he was caught by the troops in Gundipora village of the district, who tied him to the front of their jeep before proceeding towards Beer-wah town. An FIR was registered by the Jammu and Kashmir police against the Army.
On 15 April, the Army constituted a court of inquiry (CoI) in the incident, and it is not yet known if the probe has been completed.
A report appearing in a section of media had a few weeks later said the court of inquiry has given a clean chit to the Army officer involved in the act but the Army was prompt in clarifying that the probe is still on.
Mr Dar had filed a formal complaint against Army Major Leetul Gogoi, the officer involved in the act, in May through a local human rights activist Ahsun Antoo, chairman, International Forum for Justice and Protection of Human Rights.
The move came amid a major controversy that surfaced when Major Gogoi of 53 Rashtriya Rifles was awarded ‘Commendation Card’ for his “sustained distinguished service” in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat even when the Army had yet to complete the inquiry into the incident.
Major Gogoi had defended the act saying that if he had not done what he did that day “at least 12 or more lives” would have been lost, and that “had I fired there would have been many casualties.”
