FIR lodged against Army for tying J&K man to jeep as ‘human shield’, security forces asked to exercise 'maximum restraint'

Pic courtesy: Twitter/Omar Abdullah

Jammu: A case has been registered against the Army for tying a man to a jeep allegedly as a "human shield" against protesters who took on security forces in the Kashmir Valley over by-elections held last week.

Reports said on Monday that the FIR against Army has been registered by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, .

The Jammu and Kashmir Police had on Sunday issued an advisory to its personnel to exercise extreme caution while visiting their hometown, especially in south Kashmir.

The FIR was registered after a video of the incident went viral this week, drawing widespread condemnation, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had sought a detailed report from the state police. 

The Army also began an internal investigation into the incident. Reacting to the incident, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured that he would look into the matter.

Police sources said that the charges being considered against the Army include kidnapping and endangering the man's life.

Security sources said the video was filmed when polling officers faced a mob of stone-throwers on April 9, when by-polls were held for the Srinagar parliamentary constituency.

"They would have been lynched by 400 people," the sources said, saying that the man tied to the fender of the jeep acted as a shield and was not harmed.

Officials investigating the incident said that the man was identified as Farooq Ahmad Dar, a resident of Sitaharaan village in Khag tehsil of Budgam district in central Kashmir and the army unit involved is 53 Rashtriya Rifles.

During the investigation, Dar claimed he was picked up when he was on way to his sister's house, where a relative had died, after casting his vote. He alleged he was picked up by an Army contingent that wanted to enter Beerwah village with the polling staff.

Eight people died and nearly 100 were injured in unprecedented violence during the Srinagar by-polls held in the shadow of threats and a boycott call by separatists. Electronic Voting Machines or EVMs were damaged and burnt and the voters' turnout was the worst in 30 years.

An earlier video that went viral showed a mob kicking and slapping a jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force or CRPF, who keeps walking without reacting to any provocation. Five persons were arrested for the incident