Mangaluru: The Congress has approached the State Human Rights Commission over the Mangaluru police firing episode and the Commission is likely to come to Mangaluru on December 31.
Two persons had been killed when the police opened fire at the people who were protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act, in the city recently.
Congress party’s national social media co-ordinator Lavanya and three others filed a complaint with the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) in this regard.
Speaking to the mediapersons at the District Congress Committee office, on Saturday, December 28, Lavanya said, “though there was no need to open fire at the people who were portraying peacefully, the police opted to fire. While two died, at least 11 suffered bullet injuries and they are receiving treatment in the hospital. As it was the clear case of human rights violation, we have filed a case against Mangaluru Police Commissioner Dr P S Harsha and other police cops who instigated the violence.”
Meanwhile, she informed that as the KSHRC asked them to submit specific evidence during the hearing on December 31, they would submit photos, videos and medical certificates of injured people.
“Our intention is to provide justice to the victims’ family members and to ensure no such incident occurs in the coming days,” Lavanya added.
Luqman, a resident of Jodumarga in Bantwal, who is among the three others who filed a case at KSHRC informed that he was the eyewitness to the lathi-charge. “Only 40 to 50 people had gathered near the State Bank area and had engaged in peaceful protest. Though there was a crowd during the incident, most of them were school and college-going students. There was no need to resort either to lathi-charge or to firing. However, in order to suppress the protesters, police resorted to firing, which killed two innocent people,” he said.
Congress leaders Vishwas Kumar Das, Mohammed Nazeer and others were present.