MANGALURU: A three-member People’s Tribunal, comprising former Supreme Court judge justice V Gopala Gowda, former special public prosecutor BT Venkatesh and senior journalist Sugata Srinivasaraju, on Monday examined several witnesses in connection with the Mangaluru violence during the Citizenship Amendment Act protests.
A total of 16 witnesses deposed before the Tribunal for it to come out with a fact-finding report on the incident. Former mayor K Ashraf, writer Umar U H and a few others alleged that the police firing was “pre-planned” and was intended to curb the anti-CAA and NRC protests, and that the cops were “spreading lies to cover up their mistakes”.
Umar said there was no need for lathicharge on protestors who had gathered at the State Bank on December 19, as they were only 50-60 in number. The cops present on the spot outnumbered them. During the lathicharge, he alleged that the police selectively targeted Muslims and even fired tear gas at a mosque, which provoked the people of the community to come out on the streets in large numbers and clash with the police.
He said there was no attempt to torch the Bunder police station or arms shops located in the vicinity, which according to the police, forced them to open fire on the protesters. “If it’s true, then the police should release CCTV footage of the same. Police have only released images and videos that suit their version,” he said.According to Umar, there was provocation for communal violence on that day as some people joined hands with cops and pelted stones on protestors.
Ashraf alleged that the police did not follow the police manual or warn people before opening fire at the protesters. Instead of firing in the air or below the knee, they aimed at the protesters with an intention to kill, he said. Ashraf, who was called by the police to convince the protesters to down down, eventually got shot by the police.