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Journalism of Courage
August 8: In what can be seen as the first sign of soul searching by the police, the State Reserve Police SRP sub-inspector, M Y Kadam, was suspended for violating 8220;basic norms8221; almost a month after he ordered the firing at Ghatkopar.
Director general of Maharashtra police Amarjeet Singh Samra said, 8220;Kadam was suspended following an internal administrative inquiry which established his non-compliance of the basics in fire and control methods.8221;
When asked why it took so long for the police to act, Samra replied that nobody is suspended without an inquiry. However, the inquiry into Kadam8217;s action was delayed for various reasons, including non-availability of witnesses.
When the news of Ambekdar8217;s statue desecration reached the north-east control, all the police and para-police forces around the area were alerted. The SRP company headed by Kadam of Pune unit of SRP, was stationed at P L Lokhande Marg, Chembur rushed to the spot. At the time, police inspector, Ashok Kilari of the Pant Nagar police station and the assistant commissioner of police, Vikhroli division, S N More had already reached on the spot.
Despite the presence of local police, Kadam asked his men to open fire on the mob, leaving 10 dead, including a teenage boy and an old woman, and 12 injured.
On hearing firing shots, ACP More, immediately sent a wireless message to police control to ask Kadam to stop firing. When control relayed the message to Kadam, firing was stopped.
The moot questions remain that when the SRP van was equipped with the wireless then why did not Kadam sought instructions from his superiors. Samra say all these matters will be dealt by the commission.
