Human shield issue: Major Leetul Gogoi given clean chit by the Army?

Major Leetul Gogoi has been honoured with the Army Chief`s `Commendation Card` for his `sustained efforts` in counter- insurgency operations.

New Delhi: Major Leetul Gogoi, who had tied a man to a jeep in Kashmir purportedly as a shield against stone pelters, has been given a clean chit by the Army's court of inquiry, which was conducting an internal probe into the incident.

Media reports quoted Army sources as saying that nothing had been found against the Major in the inquiry.

They also quoted sources as saying that Gogoi will continue his service as part of 53 Rashtriya Rifles till he finishes his tenure.   

The CoI was tasked with a probe into the circumstances that prompted him to tie the Kashmiri youth to the jeep's bonnet as a "human shield". 

A video, showing the man tied to the Army vehicle during polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election on April 9, had triggered a public outcry, prompting the force to institute a probe.

Later, giving his side of the story, he had said that his idea had saved many lives.

Making an appearance on national TV, rare by a Major-rank officer, Gogoi had defended his action and had said that he and five other Army personnel had gone to that polling booth after a "distress call" about a small group of ITBP personnel and few members of the polling staff being surrounded by a big crowd of about 1200 stone-pelters.

In the mob, he had said that he saw a man who appeared to be the "ring leader" as he was "instigating" the stone-pelters on the day of the bypolls.

The Major had gone on to say that the idea of tying the man had struck him suddenly as a means to evacuate the polling staff and the paramilitary personnel, besides avoiding any casualties.

He had added that after Dar was tied to the jeep, stone-pelting had stopped for some time, providing them a window to them to leave the area safely.

Notably, the Major has been honoured with Army Chief's 'Commendation Card' for his 'sustained efforts' in counter- insurgency operations.

"Major Gogoi has been awarded the Chief of Army Staff's Commendation Card for his sustained efforts in counter- insurgency operations," Army spokesperson Col Aman Anand had said, as per PTI.

All factors including his notable performance and "overall emerging indicators" of the CoI, had been "well-considered" while conferring the award on him, Army sources had said.

(With PTI inputs)