Srinagar, May 23: An army officer who was behind last year’s human-shield case was handed over to the police after he was held by people with a girl at a hotel in Srinagar on Wednesday.
Major Leetul Gogoi, who had tied a civilian Farooq Ahmad Dar of Chill-Brass village in Budgam district to the front of an Army jeep and used him as human-shield against the stone-pelters on the day of Srinagar Parliamentary elections in April last year, was caught today by people with a girl from a hotel.
A senior police officer confirmed that the major had booked a room at ‘The Grand Mamta’ hotel in Dalgate area of Srinagar.
He said today when the Major Gogoi along with a local Kashmiri boy and a girl from Budgam district reached the hotel, they had an altercation with the hotel staff at the reception as the hotel staff became suspicious seeing a local girl with a non local.
The argument he said turned into scuffle in which locals also joined.
Following the incident, a police party reached the spot and took the trio into their custody. Later, officer said police came to know that he was Army Major Gogoi.
“We have to go by merit of the case and probe has been ordered,” said Inspector General of Police, SP Pani, adding that Gogoi’s unit has been informed about the matter.
IGP Pani claimed that the girl was not a minor. “The documents collected from her don’t show this at all,” added IGP Pani. However, reports suggested that the girl was sixteen-years-old.
Later in the day, police spokesman said that police has ordered a probe into an incident involving Major Leetul Gogoi.
“In this matter IGP Kashmir Zone has ordered a probe to be conducted by the SP North zone Srinagar in this incident within the ambit of law,” spokesman said.
In an earlier statement, police said that at around 11 am, Police Station Khanyar received a call from Hotel Grand Mamta that an altercation has taken place at the hotel.
“Accordingly a police party was deputed to the hotel, and it surfaced that one woman (name withheld) and one Sameer Ahmed of Budgam had come to see some person. But the hotel reception did not allow them to meet the person. Meanwhile, police party reached the spot and got all the persons to the police station,” said the statement.
“Subsequently it was learnt that the woman had come to meet an army officer. The identity and particulars of the army officer has been collected by the police as well. The officials were handed over to their unit after due recording their statements. The statement of woman is also being recorded for probing the matter,” the statement said.
