No police excess in Mangaluru during anti-CAA protest: Karnataka govt

When HC asked if anyone was guilty, govt advocate said no
No police excess in Mangaluru during anti-CAA protest: Karnataka govt

BENGALURU: The state government on Friday informed the Karnataka High Court that it has concluded ‘there was no excess by the police’ with regard to the firing that occurred in Mangaluru and resulted in the death of two people during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act held in December 2019. 

Additional Advocate General Dhyan Chinnappa made the submission before the division bench of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum during the hearing of a public interest litigation filed by freedom fighter HS Doreswamy and K Ashraf from Dakshina Kannada in 2020. 

Chinnappa submitted that the state government accepted the report of the magisterial inquiry and concluded that nothing was wrong with the action taken by the police. When the court asked if anyone was found guilty, Chinnappa said no. The complaint against the police was received, probed and a report was filed by the CID. 

Senior counsel Prof Ravivarma Kumar said that 10 complaints were filed against police atrocities against a peaceful protest. There was a positive direction from the high court to register an FIR and investigate in accordance with the law. Not a single case/FIR was registered and investigated. No chargesheet was filed before the magistrate. Not even a single complainant was examined. “I have not furnished a copy of the report. Absolutely it is for the police, by the police and of the police,” he argued. 

Chinnappa submitted, “We have investigated every complaint. First, an inquiry was conducted by the CID and then by the district magistrate. There was a conclusion that no excess force was used by the police. Everything was submitted to the court in a sealed in cover”. 

The court directed the government to file an affidavit explaining the procedure adopted in taking up complaints and conducting inquiries. The hearing was adjourned to November 30, 2021.  The State Government had appointed the Udupi Deputy Commissioner to conduct the probe into the police firing and the report was submitted to the high court by the government.

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