145;Ashok Bhatt146;s son instigated cops146;

As many as 14 people from Kaji no Dhabo, Panch Pipli and Patharwali Masjid under Gaekwad Haveli police station deposed in-camera before the ...

As many as 14 people from Kaji no Dhabo, Panch Pipli and Patharwali Masjid under Gaekwad Haveli police station deposed in-camera before the Nanavati Shah Commission today. They also submitted a memorandum of grievances.

After the deposition, Yasin Mandusarwala said the group told the Commission that ACP S.K. Dave and then police inspector of Khadia police station, B.D. Sioni, had resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing in their locality at the behest of Bhushan Bhatt, the son of state Minister Ashok Bhatt, resulting in the death of one person and injury to two others.

However, when asked whether they had named the minister8217;s son and the police officers before the Commission, Yasin said they had not named Bhushan Bhatt, but had said 8216;8216;it was Minister Ashok Bhatt8217;s son at whose behest the police had resorted to firing8217;8217;. Interestingly, the memorandum does not name either the minister, his son or the two police officers.

Sources in the Commission8217;s office said it was not Yasin, but Haji Mohammed Ismail Raja 43, who had deposed before the Commission for the group. Sources said that Raja told the Commission that till March 26, 2002, no untoward incident had been reported in their locality. But on that afternoon, Bhushan Bhatt came to their area with a police party and pointed out their houses. Later, the police party, led by ACP Dave and former PI Sioni, entered their locality and started lobbing teargas shells and resorted to indiscriminate firing. Sarfaraz Chippa died in the firing while Abdul Parvez and Ayub Fakruwala were injured. Two women from the group 8212; Ajrabibi Kalaiwala and Hanifabibi Bombaywala 8212; alleged that there were women constables too who had assaulted them.

During state counsel Arvind Pandya8217;s cross-examination, Raja admitted that till date the residents had not complained about the incident to any senior police officer, district authorities, court or Commission. However, Pandya told the Commission that police records confirmed that 174 rounds were fired in the area that day and one person had died in the firing.