The State Human Rights Commission of Jammu and Kashmir has ordered the BJP-PDP government to pay Rs 10 Lakh as compensation to the ‘human shield’ victim, Farooq Dar.
“I have asked the state government to compensate Farooq Ahmad Dar for endangering his dignity and life,” Justice Bilal Nazki,Chairman SHRC, said.
The 26-year-old Farooq was paraded by the Indian army while being tied to a jeep during the Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary seat bypolls on 9 April by an Army major, Leetul Gogoi.
The action by Major Gogoi was widely condemned by human rights organisations. However, the Indian army chief, General Bipin Rawat had awarded him with a special commendation for his ‘heroic’ job.
Police in the state had registered a case against unnamed army personnel in the incident of allegedly using a civilian as a human shield against stone-pelters during the polling in Beerwah area of the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.
The Army Chief’s ‘Commendation Card’ for Major Gogoi was largely seen as an indication that he is unlikely to be implicated for the incident by a Court of Inquiry which the Army maintains is still going on.