K'taka authorities' attitude shocking; to report to PM soon, says NC

New Delhi, Sept 19 (UNI) The National Commission of Minorities(NCM), which is back from its three-day tour of Karnataka, has taken strong note of the compliants of police atrocities committed against women and children at St Joseph School in Mangalore while dealing with protestors against the attack on their places of worship.

The Commission would soon submit its report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Women as old as 75 testified before the Commission that they were brutally caned by the police and even children were not spared, NCM Member Harcharan Josh, who was part of the team that visited Karnataka, told UNI.

He said the NCM team, headed by its Chairman Mohammad Shafi Qureshi, met the state Home Minister, Chief Secretary and the Director Genaral of Police and apprised them of the complaints of police atrocities.

''The Commission found it very shocking that despite wide reportage about these incidents in the media, the state authorities said they were not aware of it,'' said Mr Josh.

He said the 35 women and some children of 10 to 12 years from the St Joseph school who testified before the Commission showed to them the mark of cane injuries inflicted by the male police on their bodies.

These women included 75-year-old Sister Deninson. She was badly beaten up by the male police and sustained severe injuries on her arms and legs. Besides, head of a 10-year-old boy Rubin D'Souza was badly broken.

Police also arrested 26 youths from the prayer hall, he said ''The NCM team first went to Bangalore from where they travelled to Mangalore, where the largest number of churches were attacked,'' said Mr Josh.

The Commission was also told that whearas the police dealt with innocent people in a brutal manner, it took no action at all against the right wing ourfits that had attacked their places of worship, said Mr Josh.

UNI NAZ RP BD1920