On 9 April 2017, Farooq Ahmad Dar, a 26-year-old resident of Chill Brass village in Budgam, Kashmir, voted in the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election. After casting his vote, Dar went home, had tea with his mother, and then set off on his motorcycle to visit a relative. On the Beerwah-Budgam road, he was stopped by an army patrol from the nearby Raeyar army camp.
Dar was forcibly dragged off his bike by the army personnel, including Major Leetul Gogoi of the 53 Rashtriya Rifles. He was beaten with batons and his right arm was fractured. Despite the severity of his injuries, Dar feared going to a hospital, as he was terrified of further harm. He recalled, “I’d given up hopes of being alive that day.”
The army then tied Dar’s hands behind his back, placed him on the bonnet of an army jeep, and paraded him through several villages for over six hours. His body was tied to the front of the jeep, and his feet dangled in the air. He was paraded through 17 villages, where army personnel forced locals to throw stones at him. Dar was not given food or water during this ordeal and was subjected to physical and emotional abuse.
As he was paraded through the villages, he was photographed by the soldiers, who mocked him and threatened to show the images to his father. Dar was left terrified, fearing the soldiers might misuse his phone, which had been confiscated and was later denied for return.
At the end of the day, Dar was taken to a CRPF camp and then to the Raeyar army camp, where he was detained until he was released in the evening. His mother was waiting outside the camp and hugged him tightly, unable to believe he was alive. The incident left Dar with a deep sense of fear, and he has not left his home since, even avoiding buying medicine due to his anxiety.
The images and videos of Dar being used as a human shield sparked public outrage. While some, including India’s Attorney General, defended the actions of the army, others condemned it. Mehbooba Mufti, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, called the incident “unacceptable” and ordered an investigation. Despite this, Dar stated that his hope for peace had been shattered and he would never vote again, feeling betrayed by the very system he once believed in.
The emotional and physical trauma he endured that day has instilled lasting fear, and Dar no longer believes in the possibility of a peaceful resolution for Kashmir.