Ramabai case eyewitness says police fired without warning

Mumbai, Mar 11 (UNI) An eyewitness in the 1997 Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar firing case in which ten people were killed today revealed that the police had opened fire at the violent mob without prior warning.

Vikas Pawar told the Additional Session court Judge D B Khatawkar at Sewri that he owned a General Store opposite Dr Ambedkar's statue and had seen the police opening fire without warning the mob, that went on jthe rampage after defacing Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's statue on July 11, 1997 in Ghatkopar.

State Reserve Police (SRP) Sub-Inspector Manohar Kadam had given the order to fire at the mob.

The trial of the case began on October 18, last year, after ten years of the incident. On the basis of the Gundewari Committee Report, a prima facie case had been registered against the accused and on the basis of the report, the court had ordered his prosecution.

The officer was booked under Section 304 instead of 304 (a) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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