Terming it as ‘stupidity’, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the youth, who had performed a stunt risking his life while sleeping on the track of the fast moving train in south Kashmir, should be ‘let off’ after counseling as ‘our prisons are too full of young men’.
The video of youth performing the dangerous stunt while lying flat on the railway track, as train chugs over him had gone viral on social networking websites on Wednesday. In the video, the youth is seen shouting and making jubilation over his ‘stunt’.
Abdullah said that ‘stupidity isn’t a crime’ and the particular youth should be let off after proper counseling. He also added that prisons in Kashmir are already full.
“Arresting him isn’t the solution. He should be counseled & let off with a stern warning. Our prisons are too full of young men as it is & stupidity isn’t a crime,” Abdullah wrote on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Police has registered case against the youth. “We have arrested him. The case has been registered in this regard,” said additional Director General of Police, Muneer Ahmad Khan.
To a question whether the police will let off the youth after counseling, Khan said: “this act may incite other youth to perform this dangerous thing. So, therefore let law take its own course.”
The youth, police said, belongs to Bijbehara area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir.
Earlier, the youth had tendered his apology on the social media. “I apologize to all the people who commented or shared my stupid stunt. I feel ashamed & I wouldn’t repeat it again. I want to say to the police to forgive me for my stupid stunt & free me from prison,” he had mentioned in his apology.