Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Aug 26: Justice B K Somashekhara Commission of Inquiry that is probing the attack on churches and prayer centres in the state last year continued with the examination of the affidavits relating to the incidents on Tuesday August 25.

On the second day of the present sitting in the city, during the hearing presided by legal advisor of the Commission, Raviprakash, the Commission took up 31 affidavits. The commission took on record an affidavit and other records submitted by Shivappa, a resident of Pacchanadi Kursugadde, relating to an incident there. This related to the desecration of a Cross and the statue of mother Mary, installed at Kursugudde near St Lawrence Church Bondel in Pacchanady village, on the morning of August 23 last year. The miscreants had thereafter, planted saffron flags there.

Shivappa in his affidavit said that the land belongs to the government and the villagers had been demanding for allotting sites there to the poor, landless citizens. He produced the copies of applications made in this regard to the concerned, various officials and also a copy of the memorandum submitted to the Fact Finding Committee, besides press reports on the issue. It may be recalled that this incident had given rise to ill-will between the two communities and with the intervention of the district administration, the dispute had died down.

The Commission also examined and took on record the affidavits filed by advocate Sumana Sharan and advocate Jagadish Shenava, advocate for Bajrang Dal, who appeared as witnesses, relating to the church attacks and the incidents that followed thereafter.

Public prosecutor Prasanna Deshpande, lawyer Ibrahim representing Christian witnesses and Thimmavagol, advocate of the Commission, were present during the proceedings.