Why so much noise over human shield video in Kashmir, wonders Mukul Rohatgi: AG backs army 100%

Adding to the ongoing fracas over the Kashmir "human shield" video , Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi on Monday defended the security forces stating that the difficult circumstances in the Valley required such a decision, CNN-News18 reported. Speaking to the channel, Rohatgi said, “It was one of those spur-of-the-moment decisions…. If an army major got away without hurting anybody, it’s a great job…. There was nothing wrong, considering the circumstances. If it has to be done again, it should be done again. We are 100 per cent backing the army and the major.” Rohatgi also added that he did not understand why there was “so much noise” over the issue. Rohatgi’s comment puts a question mark on the fate of the probe ordered into the case. He also added that with the ongoing volatile situation in the Kashmir Valley, such a decision helped save many lives including that of election officials, India Today reported. On the legality of such an act, the top law officer told the publication, “Booth and elections are a symbol of democracy. In this situation an SOS was sent to the army, a major was also sent. The move was the best way to diffuse the situation.” [caption id=“attachment_3389698” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Farooq Dar, the Kashmiri man who was tied to an Army jeep to deter stone pelters in the Valley. Image courtesy: YouTube screengrab[/caption] Toeing the government line Rohatgi’s defence of the security forces is in line with the government’s stance on the raging issue. The Centre had  decided to back the army officer who took the decision to tie the youth as a “human shield” to the jeep after an army probe concluded that the officer had to take the decision as a last-minute resort against rampaging stone-pelters. FIR filed against Army On Saturday, the Jammu and Kashmir Police had filed an FIR against the Indian Army. The police registered the FIR against army’s 53 Rashtriya Rifles unit in the Beerwa police station in Budgam district. The army had been charged with kidnapping and endangering the man’s life. What had happened The youth, Farooq Ahmad Dar, of Chil Bras, Khansaheb, was allegedly thrashed and detained at an army camp before he was released after the polling concluded on the Srinagar parliamentary constituency on 9 April. Narrating the ordeal, the 26-year-old Farooq Dar, had said that he was caught by the Army and paraded through different areas and thrashed before being released in the evening. “The armed force personnel were beating some women at Utli Gam. They caught hold of me and tied me to the jeep before dragging me to the camp at Arizal where I was severely beaten up before I was handed over to the family members. I received injuries to my arm as well as face,” he said. While travelling to attend the mourning of one of his relatives at Gundipora, Farooq said that he was caught hold of and beaten up without any provocation. “I was travelling on a bike to attend the mourning of my brother-in-law’s sister when the incident happened,” he said.