Over 14 years after the Mumbai riots, the police today filed a new chargesheet against Farooq Mapkar, one of those injured in the Hari Masjid firing, in a case which the Srikrishna Commission report described as “wholly unbelievable” and “fabricated”. Last year, a trial court had acquitted 49 other accused in the case for want of evidence.

The case dates back to January 10, 1993, when six people died in police firing at Hari Masjid in Sewri. The police claimed they were attacked by an armed mob of 2,000-2,500 persons, and fired in self-defence. Nikhil Kapse, then a sub-inspector at RAK Marg police station, filed a complaint alleging that the mob set some slums on fire at a Hindu locality near the mosque.

The police booked 50 in the case. Mapkar was 35th on the list. He was also one of those injured in the firing. Last year, Mapkar’s case was separated from the rest on the charge that “he was not cooperating”, according to his lawyer, Shakil Ahmed. The remaining 49 were acquitted.

In its report, the Srikrishna panel held Kapse, now an assistant police inspector, “guilty of unjustified firing” and “inhuman and brutal behavior”. The commission recorded victims’ statements on “how the police resorted to unprovoked firing”.

Earlier this year, Mapkar filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court demanding that the police investigate the case and book Kapse for murder.

Citing new evidence, the police today charged Mapkar with murder and rioting, on the basis of the statement of “eyewitness” Arun Ghadge. “In view of the situation then, the police filed a chargesheet in a hurried manner. We now have fresh evidence and the case looks stronger,” said N G Wayal, senior police inspector, RAK Marg police station.

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