Civilians killed in fake encounter alleges Congess

Bangalore, July 11 (UNI) The Opposition Congress party members in Legislative Council today charged the Karnataka police of killing innocent people in fake encounters by branding them as naxalites.

In an encounter police had gunned down five people. Locals had alleged that while one was a member of CPI(Maoist) group, the other four were civilians who were killed in the cross fire in the exchange of fire between naxals and Anti-Naxal Force in Menasinahadya village yesterday morning.

Speaking on the preliminary submission after submitting adjournment motion seeking detailed discussion on the failure of the state government in protecting the innocent lives of tribals living in Western Ghats, which was affected by naxals menace, opposition leader H K Patil charged that five people were killed in an fake encounter by the police.

Mr Patil alleged that the state government which has failed to implement various welfare measures in the naxals affected areas in Shimoga, Chickmagalur, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, now targetting innocents in the name of eradicating the naxals menace.

He said that entire villagers of Menasinahadya had expressed their anguish over the killing of four innocents and even did not allow the police to remove the bodies from the scene.

Mr V R Sudarshan (Congress) termed the incident as most unfortunate and condemned the action of the police which resulted into killing of four innocent people, who had nothing to do with the naxalism. V S Ugrappa, Ms Motamma, D S Putte Gowda, Prathap Chandra Shetty (all Cong) also condemned the killing of four innocent people. The Congress members also charged that the state government merely treating the naxal problem as an law and order rather than a socioeconomic problem. The government also failed to implement the recommendations of the Chiranjeevi Singh Committee to announce a special development package for the Malnad region in four districts.

Minister for Higher Education and Leader of the house D H Shankaramurthy, opposing the adjournment motion said that the naxal activities in Chickmagalur and other districts should be seen as law and order problem. The naxals had killed three persons, damaged public properties and also indulged in looting the people living in the area.

Mr Sachidananda Khot, Deputy Chairman of the house, who was in the chair ruled that the motion was converted into rule 68 and disallowed for adjournment motion.

UNI