No compensation to human shield victim angers Omar

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday lashed out at the state government for its refusal to pay compensation to an alleged Kashmiri stone-pelter tied to an army vehicle last year.

Speaking in the state assembly on grants to state home department, Abdullah said: "The state government speaks of taking the FIR lodged against the army in Shopian to its logical conclusion when it has failed to even pay compensation to a youth tied to the bonnet of an army jeep as a human shield.

"Farooq Ahmad of Beerwah (Abdullah's assembly constituency) was a voter but was tied to an army jeep because he was seen in the area where youth were pelting forces with stones. The Army major (who tied Ahmad to the vehicle) was felicitated, but your voter was denied compensation."

The opposition leader said it would have been better for the youth used as a human shield to be a stone-pelter as he would, at least, have been owned by the separatist groups.

"But, now he is caught in the middle," Abdullah said.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had in reply to a written question said on Thursday that the payment of compensation to the victim before the investigation was completed would tantamount to condemning the army officer unheard.

--IANS

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