SRINAGAR: Major Leetul Gogoi – who last year tied a civilian Farooq Ahmad Dar of Budgam to the bonnet of his vehicle and paraded him through villages – has been detained by police along with a woman and a civilian following his altercation with the staff of a local hotel he had booked on Wednesday.
Official sources told GNS that on Wednesday (May 23, 2018) a room was booked online in Grand Mamta Hotel, Buchwara Dalgate, in the name of Leetul Gogoi R/o Assam for today.
Around 1100 hrs, Leetul Gogoi with a driver and a girl – both from Budgam – checked in the hotel.
When hotel personnel, on feeling suspicious, asked for identity cards, the trio engaged in a verbal and physical argument with the staff, sources said adding the hotel management called police which took the army officer, driver and girl to PS Khanyar where from they were reportedly shifted to District Police Lines (DPL), Srinagar.
Pertinently, a video showing Major Leetul Gogoi from 53 Rashtriya Rifles parading Farooq Ahmed Dar of Chill Brass Beerwah after tying him to the bonnet of army vehicle on 9/4/2017 went viral on social media and created uproar.
The police had ordered an investigation into the case after the incident evoked widespread condemnation, with human rights activists demanding action against Gogoi.
However, the army had justified strapping Dar to the vehicle claiming that he was “instigating a stone-pelting mob”.
Police version
Police in a statement said, “Today at 1100 Hrs, Police Station Khanyar received a call from Hotel Grand Mamta that an altercation has taken place at the hotel.”
“Accordingly a police party was deputed to the hotel, and it surfaced that a one woman (name withheld) and person namely Sameer Ahmed of Budgam had come to see some person. But the hotel receptions did not allow them to meet the person. Meanwhile, police party reached the spot and got all the persons to the police station,” the statement said.
Subsequently it was learnt that the woman had come to meet an army officer, police said adding that the identity and particulars of the army officer has collected by the police as well.
The officials were handed over to their unit after due recording of their statements, police said adding that the statement of woman is also being recorded for probing the matter.
IGP orders probe
IGP Kashmir has ordered a probe, to be conducted by the SP North Zone Srinagar, into the incident.
“This is in reference to the Press Release issued by District Police Srinagar which reported about the incident at the Hotel Grand Mamta today. In this matter, IGP Kashmir Zone has ordered a probe to be conducted by the SP North zone Srinagar in this incident within the ambit of law,” a statement issued by police said. (GNS)
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