SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government has rejected the state human rights commission’s (SHRC) recommendation for paying monetary compensation to Farooq Dar, a weaver who was used as a “human shield” by the army to allegedly escape a stone-pelting mob during the parliamentary bypoll in April.
SHRC chairman Justice Bilal Nazki had in July directed the state government to pay Rs 10 lakh in compensation to Dar, who was tied to the front of an army jeep by Major Leetul Gogoi and allegedly driven around for five hours through 17 villages on April 9 – the day parliamentary byelections in Srinagar constituency saw protests and stone-pelting at several polling booths.
The government had rejected the SHRC recommendation through a note on October 27, but details of its reply emerged in the local media only today.
The “human shield” incident had created a huge row, with civil society activists alleging gross rights violations by the Indian army and the latter choosing to award Major Gogoi with the Chief of the Army Staff’s commendation card.
In its July recommendation, the SHRC had said it “does not have jurisdiction over the army”.
A police inquiry report in September said that Dar had cast his
vote before he was picked up by the army major and used as a “human shield”.
In its four-point rebuttal to the SHRC, the home department said the recommendation
cannot be accepted because: “That no allegations as regards violation of human rights of the applicant have been levelled against the state government or any of its functionary.