Army denies clean chit to officer who tied youth to vehicle (Lead)

Srinagar May 15 (IANS) The Indian Army on Monday denied that the court of inquiry (COI) had given a clean chit to an officer who had tied a local youth in front of a vehicle last month to avoid attack from stone-pelters.

In the wake of media reports saying that the COI had exonerated and even appreciated Major Nitin Gogoi for his action on April 9 Defence Ministry spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said that proceedings were still on.

The Court of Inquiry concerned with the incident wherein a civilian was tied to an Army jeep is still incomplete.

Reports in some sections of the media of the army Major being given a clean chit are speculative he said.

Earlier reports had said that Gogoi who had reportedly tied a youth to the bonnet of a jeep as a human shield on April 9 to avoid attack from stone pelters in Badgam had been given a clean chit and the COI had even appreciated his attempt to avoid casualties.

--IANS
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