Saved many lives using human shield: Major

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 23

A day after being commended by the Army for bravery, Major Leetul Gogoi of 53 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) termed Farooq Ahmed Dar as an “instigator”, claiming that tying him to a jeep had “saved many lives” on the polling day in Budgam last month.

Despite an ongoing court of inquiry by the Army, the officer today spoke publicly about the April 9 human shield incident. He said he got a call from an ITBP officer in charge of Utligam and Gundipora, informing him of 500 people pelting election staff and ITBP personnel with stones.

“My Quick Reaction Team rushed to Gundipora, clearing several roadblocks along the way. Within 30 minutes, we reached Gundipora and dispersed the mob. I, along with four soldiers, went inside the polling booth to ensure security personnel and the civil staff were safe,” the Major told mediapersons at Beerwa Camp in Budgam. 

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

“At around 10.30 am, we received another distress call from the ITBP, informing us about 1,200 people laying siege to the Utligam polling station. They were trying to burn down the polling station by hurling Molotov cocktails. 

“We rushed to Utligam, located 1.5 km from Gondipora. When we arrived, the crowd, including women and children, attacked us with stones. Unable to move out of our vehicles, we announced on megaphones our intent to rescue the election staff and ITBP personnel stuck inside the polling station. But the crowd paid no heed,” the Major said.

“I saw a short man, Farooq Ahmad Dar, standing around 30 metres from my vehicle and told my team to catch hold of him. Dar was at the scene of violence even though he lived at Chill, 20 km away. The Army personnel moved towards the polling station with the help of mine-protected vehicle. “Once we got inside, I rescued four civil polling staff, seven ITBP personnel and one J&K police constable,” he said.

“As we were leaving the polling station, our vehicle got stuck in the mud and the mob started throwing stones at us. Farooq tried to flee on a bike but we caught him,” he said.

“When the crowd refused to relent, an idea struck and I decided to tie Farooq to the bonnet of our vehicle. As he was being fastened to the jeep, stone-pelting stopped briefly, giving us a window to move out of the area,” he said. “I did so to save local people. Had I opened fire, there would have been more than 12 casualties. With this idea, I saved many lives.”

"Was I an animal that I was tied to a jeep? The award given to him (Major) is total injustice. I have not been able to do routine chores after the incident. —Farooq Ahmed Dar of budgam

"I did so (tie a man to jeep) to save local people. Had I opened fire, there would have been more than 12 casualties. With this idea, I saved many lives. —Major Leetul Gogoi, 53 RR