Shopian firing case: SC restrains Jammu and Kashmir Police from initiating probe against Major Aditya Kumar till 24 April

The Supreme Court on Monday restrained the Jammu and Kashmir Police from initiating probe against Major Aditya Kumar till 24 April in the Shopian firing incident, according to several media reports.

Shopian firing incident case: Supreme Court says no probe would be initiated against Major Aditya till the next date of hearing, April 24. pic.twitter.com/32K23b1k7A

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The Jammu and Kashmir government, however, in a big U-turn told the apex court that Major Aditya’s name was not in the FIR filed against army personnel involved in the Shopian firing, The Times of India reported. The court was hearing Lt Col (retd) Karamveer Singh’s plea seeking to quash the FIR against his son Major Aditya. According to a report in  India Today, the accused column in the FIR was left blank. However, Major Aditya’s name was mentioned as the commanding officer in subsequent paragraphs. [caption id=“attachment_4353299” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] FIle image of Supreme Court. Reuters[/caption] When the apex court asked if this implied that Major Aditya would not be named as an accused in future, the state government indicated it could not commit so. “It depends on investigation,” the Jammu and Kashmir government told the Supreme Court, according to NDTV. On 27 January, three civilians were killed when army personnel fired at a stone-pelting mob in Ganovpora village in Shopian, prompting Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti to order an inquiry into the incident. The FIR was registered against personnel of 10 Garhwal Rifles, including Major Aditya, under sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Ranbir Penal Code. According to the army’s version of events, submitted on 30 January, the force’s convoy was attacked by a group of stone pelters and its personnel resorted to firing to save themselves. The army claimed that it opened firing in self-defence after seven of its personnel were injured. The army also submitted photographs of the vehicles damaged in the stone pelting. In February, several retired armed forces officers  staged a protest in Mumbai against “coercive steps” against army officers, including Major Aditya Kumar.

With inputs from PTI