HRW criticises Army rewarding officer who used civilian as

A human rights organisation has criticised the Indian Army for awarding a commendation to one of its officers who used a civilian as a human shield in Kashmir, saying support for such "lawless action" will lead to future lawlessness by security forces and protesters.

"The Indian Army's rewarding of an officer for actions that included serious human rights violations undermines accountability and the stature of the military," Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement yesterday.

It was referring to Maj Nitin Leetul Gogoi being commended for evacuating security personnel and election staff who were threatened by a mob in Jammu and Kashmir, in which he used a bystander unlawfully as a "human shield." The Indian Army has defended Gogoi's action.

In a recent interview to

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