Maval firing: DGP defends cops

Parasnis was speaking to the media after his farewell function organised at the Pune police headquarters on Saturday morning. Parasnis,a 1976 batch IPS officer,who had taken charge as Maharashtra police chief in February,will retire on September 30.

When reporters asked Parasnis about the incident,he said,“The media did not report both sides. The fact that the mob had turned violent and 54 policemen were injured and that some of them had suffered serious fractures,was not given proper coverage. On that day,the farmers’ agitation was on at eight places on the highway. The mob at no other place turned violent. At another spot,police had detained 192 people but even there the mob did not turn violent. More facts will come up in the inquiry.” When the incident had taken place,Sandeep Karnik — who incidentally is the son-in-law of Parasnis — was district police superintendent for Pune. Explaining why he had sought the transfer from Pune,Karnik had said that it was for a fair a probe into the matter.

Karnik had come under fire for his handling of the situation and several political parties had sought action against him.

Parasnis had tried to explain to the media about clippings of the incident in which cops were seen firing at the mob. “The officers who fired at the mob with revolvers did that only to deter the violent mob. Police fired only after they were sure that farmers were not in the firing range. No one is seen falling down due to firing from the revolvers.” Parasnis underlined,“The firing was in reply to violence. That violence was not properly reported by the media.”

‘In a mob,a bullet fired at one can hit another.’

Answering a question on the Maval firing,DGP Ajit Parasnis said,“When there is large mob,a bullet fired at one person can hit another. In case a bullet is fired at one’s leg and if he bends,for example to pick up a stone,the bullet may hit the chest or the head. The position of the person who is shot is very important and should be taken into consideration.”