MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 13: Deposing before the Gundewar Commission for the fourth day, suspended Police Sub-Inspector M Y Kadam of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) said he had ordered his jawans to open fire on the mob at Ramabai Nagar as he felt that the mob was on the verge of setting a stationary LPG tanker on fire.Had the tanker been set ablaze, there would have been serious repercussions, and along with the SRPF men, many lives would have been lost in the explosion, he added. During the examination-in-chief by commission counsel Vijay Pradhan, Kadam said the mob was pelting stones at the SRP platoon. He then asked his jawans to conduct a lathi-charge on the agitators.
Kadam said he was unable to affirm the number of persons injured in the first round. He said he saw some of the mobsters carrying away the injured persons. He stressed that during the first round of firing, he had instructed his jawans to be cautious and avoid aiming at the tankers, two of which were parked on the western side of thepolice. Three jawans - Bade, Bhosale and Avghade - were injured in the stone-throwing and were bleeding profusely before the first round was fired, he said.
Kadam said he could not guide his jawans on every bullet they fired as the situation was very tense and the mob had surrounded the SRP platoon from three sides. As is the normal practice, it is the platoon-in-charge who supervises the firing and gives the relevant orders. However, if the situation is grave, the jawans have the liberty to fire.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
