Major involved in human shield incident gets Army chief's commendation card

An Indian Army Major involved in tying up a Kashmiri man to the front of a jeep to ward off stone pelters in the valley has been awarded the Army Chief's Commendation Card, Army sources said on Monday.

The commendation card for Major Leetul Gogoi of 53 Rashtriya Rifles was given for "sustained efforts" in counter insurgency operations, Army officials said.

A video, shot on April 9 during the violence-marred Srinagar by-polls, showed a man, later identified as Farooq Ahmad Dar, tied to the bonnet of an army jeep with a placard in Badgam of Jammu and Kashmir.

The video went viral on social media and created an uproar. An FIR was registered by the Jammu and Kashmir police against the security forces.

On April 15, the Army constituted a court of inquiry in the incident, and a report is pending.

--IANS

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