CEC AIKMS has condemned police firing and tear gas lobbing on farmers protesting peacefully against a custodial death in Dahod, Gujarat. One farmer was killed and several others injured in the firing.
AIKMS has called for registration of separate FIRs of custodial killing and firing on unarmed protestors and arrest of persons involved in both the incidents. It has also demanded a judicial enquiry into both as is mandated by law.
The police have registered a case of murder, section 302 and abetment, section 114 against 5 policemen while wrongly charging the victim peasants with a rioting case against 400 persons. The peasants were only demanding enforcement of law and it is the police which is responsible for the incident. None of the policemen has been arrested even though there is no way they could run away without depositing their arms.
AIKMS has also called for political will across the board to ban lawless actions of police force and strong administrative/ legal actions against such anti farmer, undemocratic, illegal actions by law enforcers. It has demanded measures to make police persons abide by the law. While govt. policies of ‘development’ are harming the people and undermining the peasantry’s ability to survive, the govt. machinery is becoming more and more repressive and unaccountable.
The incident relates to the police picking up Kanesh Gamara, 31 years, from the tribal Chilakota village ofDahod’sGarbada taluka on Thursday, 26.10.2017 morning at 1.30 am for interrogation in a case of alleged dacoity during which he was severely beaten up and killed in PS Jeswada. It is obvious that the police does not do any interrogation at night and he was picked up with the explicit purpose of torture. In the morning at 7 am while the angry villagers were demanding that the police be booked for murder the police fired on the villagers and lobbed 8 tear gas shells. The firing was done without warning, targeting to kill. Ramsu Mohaniya, aged 45 years, who died was hit by a bullet on his head. Several others were injured.
