‘Police were Partisan during Kaup Clashes’ : Fact-finding Team

Daijiworld Media Network - SP

• A section of media is said to have given one-sided view of the March 15 incidents, says panel 
• ‘Stone-throwing began after a Muslim family was attacked by activists’
• No complaints have been registered on buses having been attacked: report

Udupi, Apr 1: Addressing a press conference held here on Tuesday March 31, member of the fact-finding committee headed by retired High Court Judge Justice M F Saldanha, G Rajshekhar explained, that the committee has arrived at the conclusion that both sides rained stones at each other during an incident that rocked Kaup on the day Hindu Samajotsav was held in Mangalore.

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He said, the one-sided statements made by the home minister and the local MLA can not be accepted. "It is impossible to throw stones from inside the mosque, considering the window designs. There is possibility of miscreants having pelted stones from the mosque compound. Hindu activists also threw stones at the mosque, but we can not accept the claim of the MLA that Hindus were injured in the incident. No such cases were registered, nor any Hindus got treatment for injuries," Rajashekhar described.

A mobile shop near the mosque was robbed during the incident, of mobile sets and equipments worth about Rs 2.5 lac. Even though the Udupi superintendent of police was injured, it has not been as yet established as who threw stones at him. Thousands of workers who had gathered at the spot were the first to throw stones and beer bottles at the mosque, he said.

"Innocent Muslims have been arrested, charges of murder-attempt have been registered against them and they are not being provided proper treatment in jails. At the same time, Hindu miscreants have been left unscathed," he accused. He added, that the committee demands action against Hindu activists too, as every one is equal in the eyes of law.

Clarifying about the absence of Justice M F Saldanha, he said the committee chief could not make it due to unavoidable reasons. Release of the committee report was also delayed as Saldanha gave a separate report, Rajashekhar clarified.

Other members of the committee Dr Jerald Pinto, K Phaniraj and Admar Sripati Acharya were present..