Cops deny role in farmer deaths
MANDSAUR FIRING Deposing before panel, police do not mention two of five deaths, say others killed in shots ‘fired’ by protesters, ‘accidental firing’ by cops due to stonepelting
Madhya Pradesh police appeared to be washing their hands of the death of five farmers during an agitation last year, with one officer saying that two people were killed by gunshots allegedly fired by the protesters. Another senior officer did not even mention the deaths of two others during his deposition before a one-man panel probing the violent stir that capped a crippling farm crisis in the state.
While owning up the killing of one farmer during the agitation in Mandsaur district on June 6 last year, police blamed it on “accidental firing” due to alleged stone-pelting by the protesters.
HT has assessed transcripts of the deposition by Sai Krishna S Thota, the then city superintendent of police at Mandsaur and additional SP, Sunder Singh Kanesh.
The BJP government led by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan constituted the judicial commission headed by Justice JK Jain immediately after the incident. Though asked to submit its report within six months, the panel was given an extension on March 12.
Family-members of victims expressed anguish over the fresh claims which they described as a “cover up” by the police.
The alleged police firing took place in two places -- at Bai Chaupati, in which two farmers were killed and three others injured, and at Pipliyamandi police station where three farmers were killed and three others injured.
In his deposition, Thota described the chain of events starting with information that a mob was indulging in arson at Bahi Choupati and had blocked the Mhow-Neemuch highway.
Thota said a team of police and CRPF personnel managed to dispersed the mob, which was allegedly armed with pistols and country-made guns and had set several vehicles ablaze by pouring petrol they were carrying.
After warnings over loudspeakers, the officer said, security forces used tear gas shells and caned the mob to clear the road. Subsequently, the force went to Mandsaur city. Thota did not mention about any firing and failed to explain how two farmers were killed and another two injured.
Sunder Singh Kanesh said that a rampaging mob, many of them armed, had raided the Pipliyamandi police station, and even attacked policemen. He said some of the protesters had set fire to vehicles kept in the station premises.
As verbal warnings and tear gas shelling failed to deter the mob, police was forced to fire in
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the air. He claimed that even as police were firing in the air, a stone hit constable Akhilesh in his left arm as a result of which his rifle’s barrel straightened and a bullet hit one protestor, leading to his death.
The additional SP claimed that all other deaths and injuries were due to bullets fired from guns being used by the protestors and added that the ballistic reports have confirmed this fact.
CSP Sai Krishna Thota could not be contacted and he did not respond to texts message. ASP Sunder Singh Kanesh said that since a judicial commission is looking into the case, he wouldn’t comment on his deposition.
Home minister Bhupendra Singh did not take calls and also did not respond to text messages.
The version of events given by police runs counter to statements given by eyewitnesses and family members of the deceased, who accuse the police of unprovoked firing on the farmers who were seeking better price for their produce and loan waiver.
“The government itself has admitted that police firing killed and injured the farmers. I was an eyewitness and it was the police who fired the shots,” said Govind Patidar, the younger brother of Chainram Patidar (22), one of the victims.
Senior advocate Anand Mohan Mathur, who is appearing for the farmers, said the police version was a cover up.
“We fear that everything is being manipulated and no one is taking responsibility on who fired the fatal shots. To buttress their case, the police have shown that they recovered arms lying on the field, two days after the incident,” he said.
State Congress spokesperson KK Mishra said, “The police statements are a reflection of the government’s policy of absolving itself of all responsibility related to the death of farmers”.
The state BJP spokesperson Deepak Vijayvargiya, however blamed “destructive elements”, which had entered the farmer’s agitation for the violence.
“...And these people burnt buses and other vehicles and they were responsible for the killings. In any case, the truth will come out in the commission report,” he said.
The state government had announced compensation of ₹1 crore each to the kin of deceased, and ₹10 lakhs to those injured.