India's army has commended an officer accused of tying a Kashmiri man to a jeep and using him as a human shield, media reports said, sparking strong criticism.
Video footage showing Farooq Ahmad Dar bound to the front of an army jeep as it led a convoy in Indian-administered Kashmir went viral last month and caused a public outcry in the restive Himalayan region.The incident last month came at a time of heightened tensions in the divided region, one of the world's most heavily militarised spots, where anti-India sentiment runs deep.
The Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency said Leetul Gogoi, who is still under investigation over the incident, was given the award last week for his efforts in counter-insurgency.
"Major Gogoi has been awarded chief of army staff's Commendation Card for sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations," army spokesman Aman Anand told PTI late on Monday.
AFP was not immediately able to confirm the report.
Responding to the news, the victim's brother Ghulam Qadir called the inquiry a "mockery".
"He has confined himself to his room. Had this kind of an incident taken place elsewhere then justice would have been done," the Indian Express daily quoted him as saying.
