Is dragging a person for 28 km bravery, victim asks

Farooq Ahmed Dar has a question.

Is dragging a person for nearly 28 kilometres an act of bravery, he asks.

The poser came after the embroidery artisan heard that an army Major, on whose direction he was tied to a jeep as a "human shield" against stone pelters in Kashmir, had been awarded a commendation certificate.

Dar said he was yet to be called by the police or the Army -- which has instituted a court of inquiry into the incident of April 9 -- for his side of the story.

"It is a complete eyewash," he said about the inquiry.

"They were never serious. I am a small person and why should anyone care," Dar said.

Dar was picked up by the Major after he had gone to vote in the Srinagar Parliamentary constituency election, defying calls from militant groups to boycott the bypoll.

He was on his way back after casting his vote when he came across Major Leetul Gogoi, who is said to have tied him to the jeep s bonnet as a shield against the stone pelters who had allegedly surrounded a group of armed personnel.

A video of Dar tied to the bonnet of the jeep went viral, triggering a public outcry. Some former general also said the move went against the "ethos" of the Indian Army.

The outrage prompted the Army to institute a probe into the incident.

The Jammu and Kashmir police also registered a case.

"It has been over a month since then and I am yet to hear from the local police. Even my statement has not been registered," Dar told

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)