Mangaluru: The People’s Union For Civil Liberties(PUCL) and National Confederation of Human Rights Organization have decided to file a private case against the police officials responsible for the lathi-charge incident that took place in Mangaluru recently.
Addressing the news conference on Thursday, PUCL National Vice-President P B D’sa has said that the police atrocities case on Ahmed Qureshi must be subjected to a judicial probe, bringing to books the police officials who are at wrong. He demanded compensation and security to the Qureshi family that is living in acute poverty, medical expenses of Ahmed Qureshi must be borne by the government and justice to the people who took part in the protest for Qureshi, which ultimately culminated into a ugly lathi-charge episode injuring scores of protesters.
It may be recalled that several persons including activists from Popular Front of India staged a stir outside Police Commissioner’s office on April 4 demanding justice to Ahmed Qureshi, a painter from Katipalla in Surathakal, who was facing attempt to murder charges. The protesters said that Qureshi was lifted by the police from the Court premises when he was there to appear before the court in connection to the attempt to murder case. He was then kept in illegal confinement and tortured by the police in the name of interrogation to the extent that he was grievously injured.
Journalist B R Ramgaswamy, addressing the reporters in this backdrop, said that 55 people were injured in the lathi-charge incident and this lathi-charge was unconstitutional. “Police have misused their power evidently and with this the police Commissioner of Mangaluru city must face transfer,” he demanded.
P. B D’sa, joining voice said that lathi-charge can be only an ultimate measure to disper a angry mob, while there are several steps or methods that the police could have resorted to.
“This seems to be a repetition of the notorious Church Attack incident,” he said opining that the entire police department in the district seems to have been saffronised.
PR Mohan Social activist, Kabir Ullal district president of PUCL Mangaluru, Sufian MM NCHRO Karnataka were present.
