quot;Cops at Ambedkar bust manhandledquot;

MUMBAI, November 20: The police team present at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's statue at Ramabai Nagar on July 11, 1997, was abused in foul lang...

MUMBAI, November 20: The police team present at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar8217;s statue at Ramabai Nagar on July 11, 1997, was 8220;abused in foul language and manhandled8221; by the mob gathered around the statue. The residents kept abusing and threatening the police and prevented them from removing the garland of chappals on the statue for about an hour.

This was stated by constable Sarichand Rathod, who was on duty at the police chowky near the statue that morning. Rathod today deposed before the Justice S D Gundewar commission, which is conducting an inquiry into the desecration of Dr Ambedkar8217;s statue at Ramabai Nagar and police firing which killed ten Dalits.

Replying to questions asked by counsel for the commission, Advocate Vijay Pradhan, Rathod said: 8220;Dr Harish Ahire, one of the residents of Ramabai Nagar, informed us about the desecration at around 6.30 am. After we reached the statue, a small mob had already gathered around it. By the time our senior officers arrived at the spot at about 7.10 am, about 600 people had gathered there. They manhandled us and prevented us from removing the garland. They also abused us in the foulest of language and pelted stones at us. quot;Dr Ahire, joined by a few others, started delivering a provocative speech. The people did not respond to requests and appeals by senior police officers to maintain peace. All of a sudden, we heard the sound of firing from the south. We looked in the direction of the sound and could see smoke rising in the sky from Kamraj Nagar nearby. The people gathered around the statue immediately dispersed and ran in the direction of the firing. It was only then that we could enter the compound around the statue and remove the garland.8221;

Meanwhile, following the directions of the commission, the police today submitted the papers pertaining to the suspension of three constables, Gajanan Katalkar, Sarisingh Rathod and Jawle. Papers pertaining to the departmental inquiry of the three were also submitted to the commission.