Date:23/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/23/stories/2006082317151800.htm

National

Three killed in police firing

Special Correspondent

Local residents object draining out of "dirty water" into burial ground

Demolition is against Gujarat High Court orders

Congress delegation says it's a deliberate move by BJP member

AHMEDABAD: Three persons were killed and five injured in a police firing in Radhanpur town, close to the Pakistan border in Patan district of north Gujarat on Tuesday.

The police said firing was resorted to after a section of the people attacked them while they were providing protection to the Government staff demolishing part of a wall of a burial ground to drain out accumulated rainwater in some housing colonies.

The local residents said they objected to the demolition to drain out the "dirty water" into the area where their near and dear ones lay buried.

They claimed that damaging the burial ground was not necessary, since alternative facilities were available for the purpose.

A Congress spokesman said that at the instance of the BJP Government in the State, local officials, with adequate police force, insisted on demolishing the wall, though the Gujarat High Court had issued orders against any such demolition.

He said a stormwater drainage system was installed at a cost of Rs. 20 lakh to drain out the rainwater from the housing societies in the locality and draining out the water into the burial ground was not necessary.

The spokesman said that when the local residents objected the demolition, the police, without any warning, opened 17 rounds of fire on the crowd.