New Delhi : After the Jammu and Kashmir Police refused to quash the First Information Report (FIR) against him for tying a man to the bonnet of his jeep to serve as a ‘human shield’, Major Leetul Gogoi on Tuesday defended his act by saying that he took the step “to save the local people.”
“We went to a polling booth to check the security situation, and then some people started pelting stones at us. Then, the stone-pelters started throwing petrol bombs at us. I took that step just to save local people,” Major Gogoi said in a press briefing here.
Earlier, the political parties were left irked when Major Gogoi was awarded by Chief of Army Staff’s ( COAS) Commendation Card for his sustained distinguished service till now in counter-insurgency operations in the state, citing that his measures against stone-pelters would only aggravate the situation in the Valley.
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The officer was awarded by Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat during his recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
Major Gogoi was in the spotlight after a video shot during the April 9 Srinagar Lok Sabha by-polls, posted on the social media, showed a man tied on the bonnet of an Army jeep in Jammu and Kashmir’s Badgam.
The video went viral and sparked a major controversy, with one faction condemning the Army’s action while the other commended their ingenuity.
The Court of Inquiry regarding April 9 incident is under finalisation.
(with inputs from ANI)
(Video Courtesy : Republic TV)