Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Aug 19: A few personnel, belonging to Andhra Pradesh(AP) state reserve police, testified before the court of the Puttur sub divisional officer on Monday August 17, that they had no other go but to open fire on May 1 on an angry crowd at Dharmastala, to stop loss of lives and property. The action was triggered by a mob that raised slogans like 'Bajrang Dal Zindabad' and pelted stones at the buses by which the AP poliemen had traveled to Dharmastala and there was every likelihood that the frenzied mob would have torched the buses, the witnesses stressed.

Policemen belonging to different districts of Andhra Pradesh state presented themselves before the magisterial inquiry into the incident, being presided by the sub divisional officer Dr Harish Kumar and recorded their evidences, relating to the said incident.

"We had been posted to naxal-hit areas of the district, because of the Lok Sabha election. We were eager to go back to our places, after successfully completing our tasks. At that time, we wanted to pay obeisance to Lord Manjunatha in Dharmastala. Because of the language problem, a misunderstanding cropped up with the crowd there, that aggravated the situation," they explained.

So far, relating to the incident, a total of 70 persons, including Beltangady circle inspector Gangi Reddy, 13 Andhra policemen and three policemen attached to Shirva police station in Udupi district, have recorded personal evidences. An additional eight persons have filed written affidavits.  The hearing in the case had begun at Beltangady on June 16, which was later shifted to the office of Puttur sub divisional officer.