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J & K police file FIR against Army for tying man to jeep as human shield

by IBNS 16 Apr 2017, 10:28 pm

Srinagar, Apr 17 (IBNS) : The police in Jammu and Kashmir have filed an FIR against the Army for tying a man to a jeep last week allegedly as a "human shield" against protesters during Srinagar by-election, NDTV reported.

The incident took place during the unrest over holding by-elections in the valley.

After a video of the incident went viral this week, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had sought a detailed report from the state police. The Army also began an internal investigation into the incident. 

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. 

NDTV quoted officials as saying 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. 

Eight people died and nearly 100 were injured in unprecedented violence during the Srinagar by-polls during which security forces opened fire at different places to quell stone-pelting mobs.

Electronic Voting Machines or EVMs were also  damaged while a video showed a mob kicking and slapping a CRPF jawan, engaged in poll duty. 

The separatists had given a call to boycott the polling and the turnout percentage was the worst in 30 years.