NEW DELHI – Indian Army sources today said that its soldiers, charged withmurder over the death of two civilians in firing on protesters at a villagein Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian, “opened fire in a desperate situation”,NDTV has reported.
A crowd of protesters injured a soldier with stones and “threatened toburn” him, the Army sources said amid a massive political row between thestate’s ruling PDP and its ally BJP.
A Major and his unit have been charged in a First Information Report or FIRfiled by the state police after the death of Javaid Ahmad Bhat, 20, andSuhail Javid Lone, 24. The Major, the sources said, was not even present atthe spot where 10 soldiers were trapped by over 200 stone-throwingprotesters.
“It is impossible in a situation like this to raise questions on why thetwo people killed were apparently shot in the head. In a situation likethis, you fire where you can, ideally below the waist. But if a person getsa bullet to the head, he may have been bending down,” the sources said.
Around 30 army trucks were heading to administrative duty when a few gotseparated and were trapped by protesters who hurled stones at them.
“The JCO (senior jawan) tried to reason with the crowd. The major in chargeof the convoy was not present. He was elsewhere in another vehicle. A brickor heavy stone was hit at one of the JCO. He sustained head injuries andfell unconscious. The crowd came within 7 metres of the soldiers. Theytried to snatch the unconscious JCO. Some of them may have said, burn thesoldier. The soldiers are trained to shoot to kill,” the sources said.
The crowd of 100 swelled to more than double, claimed the Army sources. Thesoldiers fired warning shots and then “opened fire” in a desperatesituation, said the sources. The crowd dispersed after the firing.
The FIR against the Major and other soldiers provoked sparring in theassembly yesterday, with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti at odds with heralliance partner BJP, which said a fresh case should be filed without names.
Facing angry BJP lawmakers, Ms Mufti said her government had taken actionagainst the Army only after consulting Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The chief minister also stressed that action against the guilty would nothurt the morale of the Army and pledged to take the case to “a logical end”.
Amid protests and a shutdown call by separatists, mobile internet serviceswere suspended in parts of Kashmir valley on Sunday.