Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 23: An Army Major, who is accused of using a man as human shield during stone pelting in Budgam district last month, today said that his idea saved lives of at least two dozen persons including those of stone pelters.
Major Leetul Gogoi, told reporters at his Beerwah camp in Budgam district of Central Kashmir that instead of firing to avoid casualties his novel idea saved lives of people. “This thing I have done only to save the local people. Had I fired, there would have been more than 12 casualties which I have not done. With this idea, I have saved many people’s lives … those were 1200 stone-pelters, including my two boys whom I had come to rescue,” he said.
The Army officer said that Farooq Ahmad Dar was the ring leader of the stone pelters on the day of polling at Utligam where the incident took place. “He tried to flee on a bike but somehow despite intense stone pelting and getting hurt, we caught hold of him,” he said.
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Maor Gogoi said Dar was caught at Utligam Budgam from his residence and after that they started moving towards the polling station with the help of mine protected vehicle. “Along with that help, we moved towards the polling station. Once we got inside, I rescued four civil polling staff, seven ITBP personnel and one JKP constable,” he said.
The Army officer said while they were leaving the polling station, their mine protected vehicle got stuck in mud. “On seeing us, again the stone-pelting started. At that time, an announcement was made in the mob … the civilians had started gathering and they were more violent. Even they threw a petrol bomb at us but somehow the petrol bomb did not blast,” he said.
Major Gogoi ordered his men to somehow take out the vehicle from the mud, which they managed to do. “In the meantime, again I announced in my megaphone that give us a safe passage so that we can move out from the area but the crowd was not listening to us. At that moment, suddenly it came in my mind the idea of tying him (Dar) up in the vehicle. As soon as I ordered my boys to tie him up on the vehicle, by seeing this the stone-pleting stopped for a while and that was a fraction of moment where I got a window to come out safely from that place and immediately I informed all my boys to get inside the vehicle and we moved out from that area,” he added.
An Army Court of Inquiry and a separate police investigation into the incident is still going on.
Major Gogoi was awarded Chief of Army Staff’s Commendation Card “his sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations”.
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