Major Gogoi is Facebook friend, met him several times on outings: Kashmiri woman

Days after army officer Major Leetul Gogoi's detention from a Srinagar hotel along with a Kashmiri woman, the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) on Sunday asked the police to furnish the status report of the same, according to an article, published by The Indian Express.

Earlier on May 23, the army officer and the local woman were detained by the Srinagar police following their scuffle with one of the hotel staffs in Srinagar. The two were detained under Section 164 of CrPC.

In her statement before the magistrate, the woman has said that she knew Gogoi for quite some time and met him of her "own free will". She also wanted to spend some time with the officer. The Jammu and Kashmir Police has recorded her statement.

"…SHO Police Station Khanyar to submit report in light of application by 30-05-2018 through Chief Prosecuting Officer (CPO) Srinagar," CJM Srinagar directed the police after human rights activist Ahsan Untoo filed an application questioning police's role in the case.

In his application, Untoo has also urged the police to furnish the status report of the case before the court.

Read | 'Exemplary punishment' to major Gogoi if found guilty, says Army chief Bipin Rawat

The woman also said that she had met Gogoi several times on outings in the past and is an adult. She produced Aadhaar card before the magistrate as proof of her date of birth.

Being asked how she met Gogoi, the woman said that they first got in touch with each other on Facebook. Gogoi opened a Facebook account under a fake name - Aadil Adnan and later revealed his real identity to her. Post that they became friends.

As per her deposition before the Magistrate, she also knew Sameer Ahmad Malla, the local Armyman, who was detained with them. But she failed to name Sameer's parents when being asked about the magistrate.

On Wednesday, Major Gogoi booked a hotel room for two guests but arrived with the woman at the hotel reception. Post that they were denied the room as the woman is a local and it is room to a local. The altercation led the hotel management to call the police.

Read | ‘Azadi’ isn’t possible, it won’t happen: Army Chief to Kashmir youth

On Friday, the Army has ordered a Court of Inquiry against Major Gogoi and Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat had promised of exemplary punishment in case Gogoi is found guilty.

"If anyone in the Indian Army, at any rank, does any wrong and it comes to our notice, then strictest action will be taken. If Major Gogoi has done something wrong then I can say that he will be given due punishment and the punishment will be such that it will set an example," Rawat said.