Mangaluru, Apr 13: Accusing the police of committing atrocities against peaceful protesters in Mangaluru, two noted human rights groups have decided to file private complaints against the “violent cops” in a local court.
Representatives of People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO) made this announcement at a press meet here on Thursday after their joint fact-finding team prepared a detailed report on the atrocities unleashed by the police on April 4.
Over a hundred people, who staged a protest near the office of Mangaluru City Police Commissioner on April 4 demanding action against cops who allegedly tortured Ahmed Qureshi, a local youth, in the custody for a week, had faced the wrath of police. The police not only resorted to baton charge, but also detained 98 people and booked cases against 26 among them.
P B D’Sa, national vice president, PUCL, told media persons that several pedestrians and innocent onlookers, who were not part of the protest, were also assaulted and arrested by the police as per information gathered by the fact finding team.
“We recommend to the authorities to suspend all policemen concerned in the attack and file criminal cases against them as per law as the attack was preconceived, premeditated and not in discharging their duties,” he said.
He said that attacking a peaceful crowd does not come under their duties as the police are supposed to protect peaceful protestors
Urging the government to immediately transfer the “saffronized” policemen who are entrenched in Mangaluru for 10 to 30 years, he said proportionate police men and police women should be recruited into the police force matching the population.
Findings:
P B D’Sa, Mohammed Kakkinje Gen. Secretary, NCHRO Karnataka, Ranga Swamy B.R., Editor, Barukolu Weekly, Adv.Majeed Khan Puttur, Legal advisor, NCHRO were part of the 11 member fact finding team.
Here is the brief summary of the fact finding report prepared by the human rights activists after interviewing several victims and policemen.
- The peaceful protest was a spontaneous reaction of some decent socially censorious, human beings who were pained extremely at the police atrocities on Ahmed Qureshi, (who, according to them, was tortured in illegal confinement for a week)
- The protesters were not carrying any banners or equipment of any type.
- The protesters had no leader to lead them.
- Most of them not known to each other as they come from all sides of D.K district
- The protesters were neither violent nor used any provocation language or slogans
- The protestor had stopped in front of a darga, 100 meters away from the commissioner’s office
- It is a blatant lie to say that the protesters gheroed the commissioner’s office
- It is police, out of whom 60% are saffronized, with pre conceived hatred towards Muslims, acted with extra zeal and extra punch
- Women police were drafted on duty though not a single woman was in the crowd
- Bus was brought by the police much in advance before the crowd came to the spot
- The protesters were attacked by the police while they were on their way to commissioner’s office gate.
- They had no plans to enter commissioner’s compound as alleged by police nor they entered
- Inspector Belliappa stopped the crowd and asked them to squat. As they squatted DCP Shantraju ordered lathi-charge. Belliappa jumped into action followed by a man in pink shirt one in blue shirt and one in white shirt. They were the most violent. Other uniformed police joined them in assaulting above the waist and on the head.
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