Shoe thrower cop says meeting Omar was biggest mistake

Srinagar: Abdul Ahad Jan, who had hit the headlines last year after hurling a shoe at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during the Independence Day parade, said meeting the CM after the incident was the biggest regret of his life while alleging that he was still being harassed by the police.

“Meeting the CM is the biggest mistake I committed. He said he had forgiven me and promised me that no action will be taken against me. However, I am constantly being harassed by the police and yesterday they even arrested my son from our Ajas Bandipora residence saying that he was a stone pelter,” Jan told Kashmir Monitor on Thursday.

He also claimed that senior police officials had told him to apologise to the CM after the shoe hurling incident. “I was kidnapped by the police and taken to the CM where I was told to apologise....there was no one to guide me at that point of time.”

Jan further said, “Even though the CM claimed that he had forgiven me, the FIR lodged against me at Sher Gari police station has not been withdrawn and I fail to understand why I am still being harassed.”

However, Jan said he had no regrets for hurling the shoe at Omar. He also said he had decided to hurl the shoe after being ‘touched’ by the death of a youth during the last year’s summer unrest.

“When I was admitted to Kulgam district hospital in August last year, I was touched by the death of a youth at the hands of the security forces. The youth breathed his last while he was being treated at a bed next to me. I still cannot forget the look of his face....and at that moment only I decided that I will hurl a shoe at the CM,” he said, adding “DGP (Kuldeep Khoda) was my next target but before I could hurl another shoe at him, I was overpowered by the security personnel present there.”

Asserting that he had been promoted to the rank of sub-inspector in 1992 for rescuing senior police officers during a bomb blast, Jan said the authorities should allow him to resign from service with respect.

“I was promoted for bravery after I rescued senior officers in 1992, who had been injured during a blast at PCR here. I even got a bullet in my leg that day and three houses of ours were burnt down later at Ajas. I have served the police and I should be allowed to retire with full retirement benefits as I still have six years of service left,” he said.

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