SHRC posts human shield case to June 9
The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has posted the human shield victim case to June 9 for hearing after seeking a report earlier asking the Army to explain that “ how it awarded its major’’ when the Commission was yet to decide on the disposal of the compliant that was filed against the Army before it.
Sources said that the SHRC has kept the date of hearing on June 9 and it has also asked the Army to explain its position over the matter.
Earlier Army Chief, General Bipin Rawat, had defended Major Leetul Gogi, for his “ innovative’’ way of dealing with the protests by describing the tying of 26 year old , Farooq Ahmad Dar, to the bonnet of a vehicle as an “ innovative means’’ to deal with the “ dirty war’’ imposed by Pakistan in Kashmir.
Major Gogoi was also honored by the Army that drew a sharp reaction here in Kashmir. According to sources the case of Major Gogoi’s involvement which was listed earlier for hearing on June 5 has now been deferred to June 9. The case will be heard by Justice (retd) Bilal Nazki, chairperson of the SHRC.
Widespread protests were earlier witnessed across Kashmir against the award to Army Major who after tying the Kashmiri youth to the bonnet of his vehicle later paraded him through different roads on the elections on Srinagar parliamentary seat on April 9.
Pertinently, joint resistance front of JKLF Chairman, Yaseen Malik, Hurriyat (G) Chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and Hurriyat (M) Chairman, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, had called upon people to protest the award to the Army major after the Friday prayers here.
Earlier, while talking to Kashmir Vision 26 year old, Farooq Ahmad Dar, who was tied to the bonnet of an army jeep, rued lack of justice in his case. Talking to Kashmir Vision, Dar had said that there was no point carrying out the probe when the Army has already taken a decision in the case.
“I had not taken part in any of the incidents of stone pelting. I was tied to the bonnet of Army vehicle and later brutally thrashed and detained by armed forces. But instead of taking action against the concerned personnel involved in the case, the Army has awarded its officer,’’ he had said. Describing the court of inquiry into
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a report from the Defence Ministry seeking details of the action taken in the case after a complaint was filed by a Bhubaneswar-based activist, who alleged that the Army had violated the law by tying a man to a jeep and using him as a “human shield” against stone- pelting in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir in April.
However, human rights activist, Mohammad Ahsan Untoo, said that the petition before the NHRC would deny justice to the victim. He said that when the case is already pending before the SHRC there was no point pursuing the matter with the NHRC. “ The shifting of the case outside the state would ensure that the victim can’t pursue the case and would fail to get justice,’’ said Untoo.
KV Correspondent
