I did it to save people’s lives, says Major Gogoi

SRINAGAR:

More than one and a half months after the video of Farooq Dar, the man tied to an army jeep being used as human shield went viral, the officer in question, Major Leetul Gogoi, spoke to the media trying to explain the circumstances in which he took the decision.

“We got a distress call from Gutligam polling station saying around 1,200 had surrounded the booth. We saw a large crowd throwing stones,” he said.

Gogoi said he saw a man at a 30ft distance from his vehicle and asked his men to catch hold of him. “When we challenged him, he tried to flee. After we managed to catch him, we found out that he (Dar) was the instigator,” he said.

Gogoi, however, did not specifically say that he saw Dar pelting stones. “We kept pleading with the crowd for a safe passage but in vain. So, I thought of tying Dar to the jeep,” he added.

Gogoi said, adding, “I did it to save people.” HTC