Judge feels lathi charge should have been used for dispersing mob
Hyderabad, August 1, 2007Basing on the directions from the AP High Court, the Principal District Judge of Khammam conducted a probe and submitted his report to the High Court on Wednesday. He is understood to have observed that the police have exceeded the limits and fired indiscriminately. Another observation made by him is that if mob control was the objective, they should have resorted to lathi charge and if that were to prove unavailing, fired below the keens. But, the judge reportedly observed that the police fired directly on the mob.
After examining several witnesses who deposed against the police, he came to conclusion that the firing took place only after the arrival of Additional Superintendent of Police, Ramesh Babu that lathi charge and firing took place. He made the observation that the tahasildar slipped away as soon as the stone throwing started and said it was on returning to office that he heard gunshots. It is unanswerable question that in the absence of tahasildar who ordered firing.
The judge came to conclusion that after verifying the facts presented by number of witnesses, shopkeepers and other locals, the explained in detail who indiscriminate the firing was. Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Human Rights Commission Chairman, Justice B Subhashan Reddy on Wednesday directed the CID to prosecute the policemen who opened the fire claiming seven lives of demonstrators. The Justice also asked to prosecute the agitators who attacked the policemen prior to police firing. Justice Subhashan Reddy gave this direction based on the report submitted by the District Collector of Khammam.
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