Pertaining to the Shopian shooting case in 2018, Shesh Paul Vaid, IPS, former Director-General of Police (DGP), Jammu & Kashmir said Major Aditya Kumar's name was incorrectly mentioned in the FIR. According to Vaid, the FIR was a mistake committed by the local chowki officer who registered the case.
He further said that the FIR was filed under pressure by the locals of the area and there were no instructions from the higher authorities. Major Aditya made headlines when his unit allegedly opened fire at a stone-pelting mob in Shopian district on January 27, 2018, killing three protesters.
"The FIR should not have named the Major then should not have been named. Personally I was not under any pressure but this mistake was committed by the local chowki officer - Shesh Paul Vaid, former DGP J&K
According to the Times Now report, Vaid said, "People agitate when such incidents take place, they approach the local MLAs, they approach their local MLAs or authorities and obviously the police has to record their version too, this needs to be taken into account, that's why this was reflected."
Shopian Shooting Case
On January 27, 2018, the stone-pelters were killed in the Shopian district's Ganawpora village when the Indian Army personnel opened fire. The J&K police named Garhwal Regiment's Major Aditya Kumar for opening fire at the protesters.
Major Aditya Kumar, at the centre of a controversy following the death of three stone-pelters in Army firing in January, and Rifleman Aurangzeb, gunned down by militants while he was on his way to celebrate Eid with his family, were on Tuesday named for the third highest peacetime gallantry award.
Major Aditya was honoured with Shaurya Chakra
Major Aditya Kumar and Rifleman Aurangzeb (posthumous) were both honoured with the Shaurya Chakra — an Indian military decoration awarded for valour and self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy. It is third in order of precedence of peacetime gallantry awards after Ashoka Chakra and Kirti Chakra.
