Seven veteran defence personnel came out in support of Major Aditya Kumar and the Indian Army at Azad Maidan on Monday.
Army officers, including Major Kumar, have been named as accused in the Shopian firing case, in which three civilians were killed. They were booked by Jammu and Kashmir police under the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), which is only applicable in the State.
On January 27, a mob of 150 people attacked an army convoy of the 10 Garwhal Rifles unit as it was passing through Ganovpara village in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir. The mob increased to a number of 250 and targeted a junior commissioned officer and also attempted to snatch his rifle. The army then in self-defence opened fire, killing three civilians.
The incident prompted the Chief Minister to order an inquiry. An FIR was registered against the personnel of 10 Garhwal Rifles, including Major Kumar, under Sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Ranbir Penal Code.
“The registering of such FIRs deprives us of the confidence to do our duty and brings the morale of all army officers down. I am looking forward to this FIR being taken back and have high faith that the Supreme Court would do so,” Kuldip Singh Brar, a retired Indian army officer said.
The Supreme Court in its order on Monday restrained the Jammu and Kashmir police from taking any coercive action against Major Kumar and other army officers for the next two weeks. The court also issued a notice to the State police and government and asked them to file a response to the plea within two weeks.
Retired Commodore Medioma Bhada said, “This is not a stay order. No coercive actions means you cannot arrest him. This still does not stop the Jammu and Kashmir police from calling him, making him sit in the police station and humiliating him and the army. If a stay order had come, the police would not have been able to do anything at all. That is what we have a problem with. We are not worried about the individual, who just happens to be Major Aditya Kumar, it could be anybody. The decreasing morale of the defence forces is what we are fighting for.”
A similar protest will be held at Khar on Thursday.
