Two die in police firing

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, OCT. 9. Police unleashed terror in a village near Channapatna taluk in an ``unauthorised'' early morning operation today against neera tappers, in which one person was killed and scores injured. Villagers put the number of persons injured at 150.

The District Police blamed it on a particular police officer for going ``berserk'' while the Channapatna Government Hospital said that at least eight policemen were treated as in-patients there.

About 4.00 a.m., a posse of policemen entered Vitlenahalli and Minasgalli villages, off Channapatna-Sathanur Road, woke up several farmers, forcibly pulled them out and took them in a police jeep on the charge of neera tapping. When the villagers prevented the police from taking the farmers away, the policemen left the place only to return a little later with a larger force. After an altercation between the people and the police, the latter allegedly lobbed teargas shells even as the villagers threw stones at them. Then the police lathi-charged them and opened fire.

Puttananjegowda (60) and Narasegowda, alias Thammaiah (55), suffered bullet injuries. The former died while being shifted to Bangalore from Channapatna Hospital. The condition of the latter, who is admitted to the Victoria Hospital here, is said to be serious.

The Superintendent of Police, Bangalore District, Mr. Bhaskar Rao, said the operation conducted by Mr. Rajendra Kumar, Sub- Inspector of Akkur Police Station, was not authorised. He said he came to know about police firing only after reaching the village.

Today's incident was a continuation of police action against the farmers which started two days ago. There was tension in the villages on Monday when police lathi-charged the farmers. The farmers set fire to a bus in the town.

The wife and daughter of Puttananjegowda, who was killed in police firing, on Tuesday, crying inconsolably.

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Section  : Southern States
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