Srinagar, Sept. 25: The young man whom the army used as a human shield during the April parliamentary by-election in Srinagar had just cast his vote and visited a relative to offer condolences over a death, a police probe has found.

Budgam resident Farooq Ahmad Dar, 26, was strapped to the front of a jeep by troops of 53 Rashtriya Rifles led by Major Leetul Gogoi and paraded across villages, triggering outrage in the country and abroad.

The army claimed that Dar was the ringleader of the stone-throwers and the army chief, Gen. Bipin Rawat, honoured Gogoi with a commendation card for saving lives through his "innovative" move.

The police report does not say whether Dar was involved in stone-throwing but confirms his claim that he had cast his vote. Srinagar had recorded a seven per cent turnout on April 9, with most people heeding a call for a vote boycott, which means that Dar was among the few who had defied the separatists.

The police probe also confirms that Dar was telling the truth when he said he had just visited a bereaved relative at Gampora village when the army grabbed him off the streets. Budgam police submitted the report to the state police chief last month.

The army did not respond to calls from The Telegraph .

The report said the army had picked up Dar at the Ultigam crossing during a bout of stone-throwing in the area.

"(He was) tied to the bonnet of the army vehicle as a human shield under threat. (The army) kept him under wrongful confinement and he was paraded/moved around within the area. Later on he was released," the report says.

"During investigation, it (surfaced) that victim Farooq Ahmad Dar had cast his vote at the polling booth installed in his native village i.e. Chill. After casting his vote, he had left along with Hilal Ahmad Magray for village Gampora."

The report says the investigation of the case against the army would be "concluded on its merits".

Dar had told this newspaper that his serial number on the voter list was 612, and officials at Budgam had confirmed that voter No. 612 had cast his ballot.

Human rights activist Mohammad Ahsan Untoo, who is fighting Dar's case at the state human rights commission, said the police report was proof of Dar's innocence.

"He has been saying from day one that he was not involved in stone-throwing and had cast his vote, but the army projected him as the ringleader of the stone-throwers to justify its action," Untoo said.

In July, the state rights commission had criticised the army, saying its treatment of Dar could not "be accepted by a civilised society". The commission has directed the state to pay Dar a compensation of Rs 10 lakh.