Dharmasthala firing: Drivers’ statements give new turn 
 
Mangalore, Jul 5: Puttur Assistant Commissioner Dr Harish Kumar documented the statements of KSRTC driver and police on the Dharmasthaa firing on May 1, which killed a person on the spot and injured two. The statements of these eye witness has given a new turn to the incident.

According to KSRTC bus drivers K Bhoja and Vijayakumar, “Andhra Pradesh police were not in an inebriated condition. We had left Karkala at 11 am and did not stop the bus in the middle and reached Dharmasthala at 1.30 pm. The Andhra Pradesh police started firing in the air as they were scared. Since they had the problem of language, they could not properly communicate with the locals.”

“A total of five vehicles had reached Dharmasthala at 1.30 pm. Moreover, two guides who came from Karkala in the bus did not discharge their duty properly, which lead to all chaos and commotion.

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“Locals pelted stones at the bus and the Andhra Pradesh police did not get down from the bus in fear. Later, they fired 12 rounds in the air,” they added.

Police personnel Sheenappa Gowda, Rajesh and Chandrashekar who were on duty at Dharmasthala during the incident said: “The Andhra police were not in an inebriated condition. They did not misbehave with us. They were given all the facilities.”

“It was locals who used abusive language and pelted stones at the bus which lead to tensed situation. They fired 12 times in fear. However, they did not follow the rules of the department. There was no need for firing. They could have sorted out the incident through dialogue.”

AP police did not respond

Assistant Commissioner Dr Harish Kumar said that the department had served notice to 12 Andhra police to appear for the magistrial inquiry. “None of them responded,” he said. 

“The inquiry will be conducted in my office in Puttur after I visit the spot for inspection. Notice will be served to two guides from Karkala as well,” he said.