India’s army said it has commended an officer accused of tying a Kashmiri man to a jeep and using him as a human shield, sparking outrage from rights activists.
Video footage showing Farooq Ahmad Dar bound to the front of an army jeep as it led a convoy in Indian-administered Kashmir caused a public outcry in the restive Himalayan region when it went viral last month.
The incident came at a time of heightened tensions in the divided region, one of the world’s most heavily militarized spots, where anti-India sentiment runs deep.
The army said Leetul Gogoi, who is still under investigation for the jeep incident, had been given the award last week for his efforts in counter-insurgency.
“This has been given to Major Leetul Gogoi, who has been deployed in counter-insurgency operations for more than one year,” army spokesman Aman Anand told AFP by phone. “It has been given for his sustained efforts over a period of time.”
The spokesman refused to address the ongoing investigation. But an army source who asked not to be named said the probe was being finalized, adding, “Whatever indicators are emerging have been taken in consideration as well.”
