'Human shield Major' to face court martial in hotel case

Srinagar: An Army Court of Inquiry (CoI) has indicted Major Leetul Gogoi for “fraternis-ing” with a local woman in a Srinagar hotel and being away from his place of duty in May this year. This paves the way for disciplinary action against the officer who will now face court martial, Army sources here said.

Major Gogoi is the same officer who had in April 2016 hit the headlines after he had ordered his men to tie a Kashmiri shawl-weaver to the bonnet of an Army jeep and allegedly used him as a human shield against stone-pelters during the bypoll in Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency.

The officer was on May 23 detained briefly by the Srinagar police following a scuffle between him and the staff of a city hotel, Grand Mamta, when the latter refused to allow him to check in with a teenage girl. They were being accompanied by a local man, Sameer Ahmed Malla, who later turned out to be soldier.

The police, however, did not register any case against Major Gogoi as the 18-year-old female student had said in a statement that she had gone with her “friend” and there was no force involved.

The girl had in her statement also said that she had planned the trip with Major Gogoi and Malla on the phone and had asked them to pick her from the Magam area of Budgam on the morning of May 23. “There was no force. I came to Srinagar with them out of my own will. I had asked them  to pick me up at Magam area at 10 am and we made the trip as per our plan,” she had been quoted by the police as saying. She had in her testimony also said that she had got in touch with the Army officer on Facebook where Major Gogoi had introduced himself Ubaid Arman.

Major Gogoi of Army’s 53 Rashtriya Riffles who is a resident of Assam had on April 19, 2016 stirred up a hornet’s nest by ordering  his men to tie Farooq Ahmed Dar, a Kashmiri shawl-weaver from Chhil Brass village of Budgam, to the bonnet of an Army jeep during by-poll in Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency. However, the Army had after a probe not only exonerated him but he was awarded ‘Commendation Card’ for his “sustained distinguished service” in counterinsurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir by the Army Chief Gen. Rawat.

Commenting on the CoI verdict, Mr. Dar said, “I’m happy that justice has been finally done. Khuda ki lathi be aawaz hai (The long arm of the Almighty makes no sound when it strikes). He ruined my life and now is facing the wrath of God”.