Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Jul 3: At the hearing of Justice K Jagannath Shetty Commission that is probing the Haveri firing incident here on Thursday July 2, journalist Vijay Kumar Baligar from Haveri, expressed his regret for the mistakes that have crept in his book, 'Haveri Golibaar'. He also repented having published the book at a time when the Commission was engaged with probing the same issue. During the examination conducted by the advocate for the Commission Madhusudan Adiga, he said he did not mean to either create hurdles for the functioning of the Commission or to disrespect it.

"I was an eyewitness to a few of the incidents that took place at Haveri on June 10, 2008. Those who died in the firing were miscreants, who were pelting stones at the police vehicles. I cannot confirm that they were farmers. Shortage of fertilizer was not the reason for their deaths," he explained. There is no connection between the shortage of seeds and the disturbance. Sidlingappa Choori, who died in the firing, was actively involved with pelting of stones. He had not come to Haveri to buy fertilizers but to take back his children from school, he added.

"The photograph appearing in page 16 of my book clearly shows that the deceased Puttappa Honnatti was directly involved with the disturbances. I learnt from his wife that he had visited Haveri to buy fertilizers and I have no information as to why he got involved with the disturbances," he added.       

“The information in the book that the failure of the policemen and intelligence agencies contributed to the gravity of the situation, was not mine but the opinions given by the people in general,” he claimed. Answering the questions of the advocate for the policemen Seetaram Shetty, Baligar said, the firing was justified as the huge crowd of miscreants had started pelting stones all of the sudden, at the policemen who were very few in numbers. After working hard to control the mob, the policemen burst teargas shells, after noticing that things were going out of control," he explained.