As many as 176 policemen, including Police Commissioner P.S. Harsha and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Arunangshu Giri, are listed as witnesses before Udupi Deputy Commissioner G. Jagadeesha who is conducting a magisterial inquiry into the December 19, 2019 police firing in which two persons died.
Mr. Jagadeesha has issued notices to 12 police personnel to depose before him on February 25. They have been asked to submit documents related to the firing. Dates will be given to Mr. Harsha and Mr. Giri for giving their statements. The police personnel will depose before him in phases, Mr. Jagadeesha said.
In the sixth hearing here on Wednesday, the former Mayor K. Ashraf, who was injured on December 19, deposed before Mr. Jagadeesha.
“I have deposed in my capacity as an eyewitness to the police firing,” Mr. Ashraf told reporters. He said that he spoke about how Mr. Harsha called him on December 19 to pacify the angry protesters. As he was pacifying protesters, a hard object hit him on his head a few seconds after the police firing near the Mangaluru North Police Station, Mr. Ashraf said.
A set of 15 CDs containing videos of the incident he has received through WhatsApp were not accepted by Mr. Jagadeesha as source of these videos were not known. Mr. Ashraf said that he has given details of public interest litigation he has filed along with freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy before the High Court of Karnataka.
Mr. Ashraf was the 204th witness who has deposed before Mr. Jagadeesha. Persons injured in the firing and those who were arrested for rioting can also depose before him, Mr. Jagadeesha said.
Videos
Following notices issued after a direction from the High Court in Mr. Ashraf's petition, Mr. Jagadeesha said that the police have produced a pen drive containing 50 videos related to police firing.
The police have also filed a statement about 23 DVRs related to CCTVs installed at the place of the incident that are before the jurisdictional court. Only one compact disc containing some videos was filed by the public. No videos were submitted by media persons. A report on this will be submitted by him in a sealed cover to the High Court on February 24, Mr. Jagadeesha said.
He might ask the State government for extension of date to submit his report if he cannot complete the inquiry by March 23, Mr. Jagadeesha added.