Srinagar,May 23 : The police today detained Major Leetul Gogoi, who was in news last year for tying a man to his jeep allegedly as a human shield, along with a local girl from a hotel in Srinagar. Police sources said  legal proceedings have been initiated against Gogoi, who is posted n central Kashmir’s Budgam area.

According to the police spokesman, at around 11 a.m. the police station at Khanyar received a call from Hotel Grand Mamta that an altercation had taken place at the hotel. Police sources say a minor girl along with a man came to meet the Major who had already checked in but the hotel manager did not allow the girl to the room and that triggered altercation.

The police then deputed a police party to the hotel, and it surfaced that "one woman and a person namely Sameer Ahmed of Budgam" had come to see some persons. "But the hotel receptionists did not allow them to meet the person.

The source said the police party reached the spot and got all the persons to the police Station.

Subsequently it was learned that the girl had come to meet an army officer. "The identity and particulars of the army officer has been collected by the police.The Major was handed over to his unit after duly recording his statement. The statement of the girl is also being recorded for probing the matter."

Recently, Gogoi was honoured with the Army chief's 'Commendation Card' for his 'sustained efforts' in counter- insurgency operations.

The award for Gogoi is seen as a backing of the action of the officer belonging to the 53 Rashtriya Rifles even as the Army maintained that a court of inquiry (CoI)into the incident is "under finalisation".

A video, showing the man tied to the Army vehicle during polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election on April 9, had triggered a public outcry, prompting the force to institute a probe.

The sources said Major Gogoi was given the award during Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat's visit to Jammu and Kashmir last week.

The Army chief's 'Commendation Card' is considered a prestigious award and is given for distinguished services and devotion to duty.

The CoI was tasked with a probe into the circumstances that prompted Major Gogoi to tie the Kashmiri youth to the jeep's bonnet as a "human shield".

courtesy: outlookindia.com

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Manchester, Jul 25 (PTI): The prolific Joe Root on Friday surpassed Australian legend Ricky Ponting's tally to become the second highest run-getter in the history of Test cricket and next in sight of the England batter is Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar who continues to head the list.

On the third day of the fourth Test against India here, Root first leapfrogged legendary Indian Rahul Dravid and South African great Jacques Kallis' aggregate of runs in a space of eight balls and then went past Ponting by steering the ball behind point for a single as the Old Trafford crowd gave him a standing ovation.

Ponting had scored 13378 runs in 168 matches at an average of 51.85, while Tendulkar continues to top the list with 15921 runs.

It was apt that Ponting was in the commentary box when Root went past him. The 34-year-old Root began his Test career with a 73-run knock on debut during England's tour of India back in 2012 at Nagpur.

"Congrats, Joe Root. Magnificent," a delighted Ponting, doing commentary alongside Ravi Shastri, hailed the Yorkshire man.

Root is playing in his 157th Test.

It was some sight as England skipper Ben Stokes, who was also in the middle, raised his bat even before Root could take off his helmet and acknowledged the cheers and applause from the crowd and the players

Earlier, Root entered the history books by breaking the record of most Test centuries against India with his 12th hundred against the Asian giants, against whom he has played in 34 Tests so far.

Root had equalled Australian Steve Smith's record (11 centuries) in the third India-England Test at Lord's last week by scoring a hundred (104 runs from 199 balls) in the first innings.

Overall, the ton at Old Trafford was his 38th in red ball format as he joined former Sri Lanka star Kumar Sangakkara at fourth place in the list of centurions in the game's longest format.

Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45) and Ponting (41) are ahead of him in the hundred's list.