Srinagar: An Army court exonerated the officer and praised him for tying a youth to a moving jeep in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam on April 9 to “avoid” stone pelting on forces.
The Army had ordered a probe by the Army Court of Inquiry (COI) after police registered an FIR for the incident when an Army Major from 53 Rashtriya Rifles tied a youth to the bonnet of a jeep as a human shield.
Five-vehicle convoy led by the Major had soldiers, 12 poll officials, nine ITBP men and two policemen. The major had reportedly come up with the idea to escape stone-pelting mobs during the by-election to Srinagar.
Army sources said Major Nitin Gogoi has been praised by the Court of Inquiry for “presence of mind to avoid casualties or injuries”.
The April 9 incident, which occurred in Budgam witnessed one Farooq Ahmad Dar. allegedly a stone-pelter, tied on the Army jeep’s bonnet as a ‘human shield’.
There was widespread condemnation of the act by various politicians and political outfits including the National Conference.