BHOPAL: The uncontrollable mob had even stormed into the official quarters of a female constable and set her official residence afire. The police personnel were left with no option but to open fire in self-defence and for dispersing the angry mob. Once the mob started dispersing, the firing was stopped by the police.
The report adds “evidence available before the probe panel reveals that in such a situation, police firing on the mob was extremely essential and justified.” But, it says that police didn’t follow the established norms pertaining to firing by sticking to firing on the legs of the protestors only.
The report also states that the armed mob set ablaze property, including vehicles inside the Pipliyamandi police station premises. However, it adds that the Commission didn’t find any evidence to establish that the mob was armed with guns and had opened fire on the on-duty cops.
The report also didn’t directly blame then Mandsaur district collector Swatantra Kumar and district superintendent of police OP Tripathi. Both the officials had been were suspended
But the report mentions about the district administration not having taken sufficient measures to prevent such violent incidents from happening.
The report which was delayed by nine months also stated that the intelligence network of the district administration was weak, which resulted in the local administration and police getting information about road blockade just 13 km away, only after 2 hours.
The report which was submitted to the General Administration Department (GAD) recently has been forwarded to the home department of state government for further action. However, it remains to be seen whether the state government tables the report before the state assembly in the coming monsoon session or not.
Meanwhile, MP Congress Committee president Kamal Nath said that contents of the report as reported in a section of media, if true “has revived the wounds of the farmers awaiting justice in the matter. This has once again exposed the anti-farmer face of CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan who boasts being the son
of a farmer.”