Assistant Commissioner of Police deposes

Mumbai, Oct 17 (UNI) Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Sudhakar More today deposed before the trial court that he had managed to quell part of the mob before the firing took place on July 11, 1997, at Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar.

Deposing before Additional Sessions Court at Sewree, More said he had rushed to the spot when he heard about the disturbance in the area. On reaching there, he saw that the road was blocked by a mob and some of them were getting ready to burn a car. However, when he raised an alarm, they backed off and left the spot. Soon after that, More heard the sound of firing.

Earlier, some witnesses were examined by the court, they told the court that they had nothing to do with the protests that were taking place and heard about the desecration only later, yet they were shot at by the police. Most of them were rushed to the nearby Rajawadi Hospital.

It may be recalled that the State Reserve Police officer, Manohar Kadam, had allegedly given an order to fire indiscriminately on a Dalit mob, which was protesting against the desecration of a statue of Dr Ambedkar on July 11, 1997, in which ten people were killed and 26 injured.

On the demand from social activists, the state government had appointed a commission under Justice S D Gundewari to investigate the matter. On the basis of commission report, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against Kadam, who is facing the trial.

UNI ST SSS BDP KN2006