Jawan’s name defamed: George

‘‘The police and sections of the media said he was a deserter. That was a lie. He had come home on holiday, he hadn’t left the Army,’’ he said. ‘‘The jawan’s name was defamed and this means the Army has also been defamed,’’ he added.

Fernandes said jawan Amitesh Sharma — a Russian mechanism tank driver — was a brave soldier who had taken part in Operation Parakram and had been stationed at the border. He also criticised the police for trying to plant evidence in the case to save their skins and for not filing a FIR in the case yet.

‘‘Today is the 11th day since the incident happened and even today a FIR has not been lodged. The jawan’s brother went to the police station but they said that we won’t take down the FIR,’’ he said at a NDA convention meeting held to chalk out a strategy against the Rabri Devi government in the backdrop of the growing lawlessness in the state.

‘‘I asked the father why he didn’t go to lodge the FIR and he said he was scared for his life that the police would kill him. This is Bihar,’’ he added.

Fernandes today met Amitesh Sharma’s father Avdesh and the jawan’s wife Pramilla at their house. ‘‘His father kept crying and said that in his old age his support had gone,’’ Fernandes, who was in Patna to take part in the NDA convention, said.