Pics: Johnas Sequiera
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JS)
Mangaluru, Dec 17: Family of alleged sand mining worker Mohammed Sharif, who jumped into the Falguni river at Mullarapatna on October 26 to escape from police raid and died due to drowning, on Saturday December 17 said that Sharif was innocent and held the police responsible for his death.
Addressing a press meet here, Sharif's nephew Jafarulla accused the police and said, "Sharif was a resident of the surrounding area. He was not a sand mining worker. He had gone to the river bank for leisure. When the rural police conducted the raid against illegal sand mining, Sharif who was relaxing on the river bank got scared and started running. He slipped while running and fell into the river and died as he did not know swimming.
"The police who saw him drowning threw stones at him and left him to drown. Police personnel are responsible for his death. We did not allow the body to be taken in the ambulance for post-mortem. We said we will not allow the police to touch the body without the arrival of deputy commissioner (DC). But since superintendent of police Bhushan G Borase promised to take neccessary action against the police personnel concerned, we agreed.
"But the Bantwal rural police have registered the case as unnatural death. Though we have given many memorandums to the senior police officials and people's representatives, no action has been taken against those police personnel. Sharif was the only source of income and the family is very poor, but no compensation has been given so far. Thus we urge that Sharif's family is done justice."
Sharif's mother Asyamma and others were present.