Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Feb 19: The state high court, finding fault in the arrest of 22 persons and naming them as accused by the police relating to December 19 disturbances during anti Citizenship Amendment Act protests at Mangaluru, has ordered release of all the 22 arrested accused on bail.

During the disturbances, the police had resorted to firing in which two were killed. The high court said that the police had not followed proper procedures when arresting the accused. It also considered the fact that the police had not provided evidences about the accused having taken direct part in disturbances to the court, when ordering their release on bail. It observed that the CCTV footage which the police had provided as evidences do not bear any proof to say that the accused had directly participated in the disturbances.

Police lathi-charging crowd during anti-CAA protests in Mangaluru on December 19, 2019 (file photo)

The high court also viewed the firing incident at Mangaluru seriously and turned its ire against the police. There were allegations that in the guise of disturbances, the police had attacked innocent people who were inflicted with physical and mental torture. Those who complained against the police about these things had approached the high court, pointing out that even after complaints were filed against the police, no action was taken and first information reports were not filed by the police. The court, after examining the facts, ordered for registration of FIRs against the police.

Advocate for the harassed persons had said that ten complaints had been filed against police atrocity and the complainants had frequented the police station and office of the city police commissioner to learn about the fate of the complaints. He had said that the police were not giving proper response and no steps were taken based on the above complaints. The court, upholding the request, ordered for registration of FIRs against the police personnel named in the complaints.