3 killed in Jamnagar firing; probe ordered

RAJKOT, DEC 14: Three people were killed and seven others seriously injured when police opened fire on villagers of Falla in Jamnagar dist...

RAJKOT, DEC 14: Three people were killed and seven others seriously injured when police opened fire on villagers of Falla in Jamnagar district after a rasta roko they were holding turned violent on Tuesday afternoon. Twelve others were injured in the lathi charge.

The villagers are protesting against the district administration’s proposal seeking water for Jamnagar city from Kankawati dam, which is near the village. They fear this will mean less water for their fields. The protestors had blocked the busy Jamnagar-Rajkot highway, and were pelting stones at vehicles. According to Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya, “A police party tried to persuade the crowd to go back, but it turned violent and pelted stones.”

Inspector Arjun Yadav was injured in the stone throwing. Police first charged at them. Then they fired 10 rounds of tear gas, but the crowd could not be controlled. Then police fired warning shots in the air, and then fired into the crowd. Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel has announced Rs 2lakh in compensation to the families of the dead. He has also promised Rs 10,000 each to those injured in the clash.

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Pandya has also stated that a judicial inquiry would be ordered into the police firing, even as local BJP leaders said the firing amounted to police atrocity on villagers. Jamnagar superintendent of police Satish Varma said 12 policemen were injured. “When police tried to prevent the mob, which was attempting to set to fire an LPG tanker, the police opened fire,” he said.

The firing was ordered by Mamlatdar and Executive Magistrate Chandrakant Pandya, who was also present at Falla. Sub-inspector I Patel has lodged a complaint against the mob, while Inspector K.M. Varu has been assigned to investigate the case.

The villagers, supported by the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, had on Sunday organised a similar rasta roka on the Jamnagar-Rajkot highway to protest against the proposal and also set December 14 as deadline, demanding that the state government, which has been dithering on a decision,decide either way or face another agitation.

Jamangar Mayor Dharmendrasinh Zala, former state minister Dinesh Parmar and MLA Manhar Zala rushed to Irwin Hospital, where the injured were being brought in.

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Municipal Commissioner Pankaj Joshi said that the farmers of Falla had already been assured last Saturday that water from the Kankavati Dam would not be given to Jamnagar in view of the agitation so there was no need for the violence.

Flare-up over water sharing
Rajkot: Minister for Small and Medium Irrigation Nitin Patel told The Indian Express: “On November 30, when there was 80 million cubic feet water (mcft) in the Kankavati, we had decided to allocate 50 mcft water to Jamnagar and 30 mcft to Jamnagar rural, which would have been sufficient for some months. However, Falla and several other neighbouring villages protested, and vowed they will not allow even a drop of water to be taken from the Kankavati.”

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