Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has said that no major action will be taken against Major Nitin Leetul Gogoi even if the court of enquiry finds him guilty of some lapse in using a Kashmiri youth as “human shield” to save his men and Election Commission officials.
In an interview to The Economic Times, General Rawat said that according to his information, Major Gogoi has not committed an offence that warrants disciplinary action.
“The present court of inquiry will come to its conclusion but what I have learnt is that he has not committed an offence that will necessitate disciplinary action. On the face of it, even if he is found guilty of some lapse, no major action will be taken against him. I find no reason for major action to be taken against him,” General Rawat told ET.
General Rawat further said that Major Gogoi has been given the commendation card with an aim to motivate the rank and file of Indian Army operating in a difficult environment in the Kashmir Valley.
“The message is not for the people. I am concerned with my rank and file. When they are motivated they will take action and will not let the situation spiral out of control,” Gen Rawat said.
Refusing to divulge Indian Army’s strategy to tackle the situation in the Kashmir valley, General Bipin Rawat reiterated that the stone pelters will be treated as anti-nationals.
“Their parents must tell them to shun violence, which is creating turmoil, affecting peace, jobs and the economy. If they don’t shun violence, then they should not interfere in our operations, because we will take action,” he added.
Major Nitin Leetul Gogoi on Tuesday said that he used a Kashmiri man as human shield on his jeep to thwart a stone-pelting mob to "save more lives".
"I did this (tie Farooq Dar on the bonnet of my jeep) to save more lives of the local people," the 53 Rashtriya Rifles Major told reporters, a day after he was given the Army Chief's Commendation Card for "sustained efforts" in counter insurgency operations.
"If I had ordered firing then more casualties would have been there," Gogoi said, recalling the events of April 9 during the by-election in Srinagar.
