Police officer deposes in Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar case

Mumbai, Jan 14 (UNI) A local court today directed police Sub- Inspector Shridhar Uddhav Jadhav, witness in the 1997 Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar firing case, to submit police control room records pertaining to the case.

Ad hoc additional sessions judge B D Khatwakar directed the witness to submit the records to the court by January 23.

Jadhav was attached to the police control room at the time of incident on July 11, 1997.

The witness told the court that on that day at around 0750 hours, he received the first call informing about the riot at Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar. On receiving the call, he had sent wireless messages to the patrolling vans.

The witness also explained to the court about the code words used while sending wireless messages. He said he had attended the last call on that day at 0930 hours after which his duty was over.

On July 11, 1997, riots had erupted at the Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar in Ghatkopar after a statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was found defaced.

To control the violent mob, State Reserve Police (SRP) Sub-Inspector Manohar Kadam had given his men the order to open fire in which ten people were killed.

After a thorough probe, Kadam was prosecuted under Section 304 (II) of the Indian Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. But families of the victims had demanded that Kadam should be prosecuted for murder charges.

UNI ST MAZ KK BST1820