Cases against Army, BSF for using civilian as human shield


The police on Monday registered cases against security forces in Kashmir who used a civilian as a human shield to allegedly guard against stone pelters and in another incident gunned down a youth in the Batamaloo area of Srinagar.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the Beerwah Police station days after a video of the incident of April 9 went viral, drawing widespread condemnation and anger.

A police official said the FIR was filed under sections 342, 149, 506 and 367 of the Ranbir Penal Code against unidentified Army personnel. The investigation has been handed over to an officer of a Deputy Superintendent's rank, he said.

In the video that emerged on April 14, Farooq Ahmad Dar, a resident of Khansahib, Budgam, is seen strapped to the front of a moving Army jeep.

A soldier can be heard in the video, saying, "This will be the fate of people who throw stones." 

The police also registered a murder case against unnamed personnel of the Border Security Force in connection with the death of the youth, Sajad Hussain Shaikh. Shaikh was killed after being hit by a bullet in the head, an official said.

Investigations into the killing have begun, he said.