Who shot them point blank?

The entry register at the Al-Amin Hospital in Gomtipur shows 40 people, with bullet injuries in the head and chest. ‘‘Some of them were still breathing when they were brought here. But they were all in a critical condition, with injuries in the head and chest. After doing our bit, we sent them to the V S Hospital but most of them died by the time they got there,’’ says a senior member of the Hospital’s management who declined to be named.

Confirms Saumil Merchant, head of the Forensic Department at the V S Hospital: ‘‘In 70 per cent of the cases, the deaths in the area occurred due to bullet injuries in the head and chest. Also, there are cases where tear gas shells lobbed by the police caused fatal head injuries.’’

Confronted with this fact, the government, which first called the Bapunagar incident ‘‘police firing,’’ now claims there could have been ‘‘private firing’’ as well.

The incident, in brief: On February 28, a 3,000-strong mob from Hindu-dominated Bapunagar and nearby Rakhial tried to attack Muslim colonies in Morarji Chowk and Charodia Chowk. Interestingly, only 12 deaths in the clashes that followed were due to burning or stabbing—all other victims were shot.

Some of them:

• Wahid Gabbar, private security guard, living in Mandu Master ni Chali in Bapunagar. Shot between the eyes on February 28. Age 25.

• Ghulam Rasool Ghulam Nabi, 408 Noor Nagar, Rakhial. Shot in the head. Age 22.

• Ishtiaq Khan Nizamuddin Khan, Morarji Chowk, Bapunagar. Shot in the head. Age 24.

• Pervez Ghulam, General Hospital Road, Bapunagar. Shot on the nose. Age 26.

• Imtiazkhan Nizamuddin Pathan, 21, a resident of Morarji chowk. Shot in the head. ‘‘I could not recognise my own son, part of his head was blown off,’’ his mother Ammiben said.

That night, frightened residents fled to Aman Chowk, where a relief camp was set up. Mujib Ahmed Ansari, the man in charge of the camp, filed two FIRs and 26 complaints with the Bapunagar and Rakhial police stations. As the victims gained confidence, 14 more FIRs were filed.

Bapunagar and Rakhial come under the constituency of Minister of State for Home Gordhan Zadaphia. When contacted by The Indian Express, he said: ‘‘I have no idea what kind of violence happened in my constituency. There is a sizeable population of Hindus and Muslims. I cannot say who attacked whom.’’

Asked how many were killed in police firing, he said: ‘‘We only have a total figure of deaths in firing in the state. I don’t have area-wise figures.’’

R J Savani, who was Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone V) till his transfer two weeks ago, says he cannot comment if they were victims of police firing or ‘‘private’’ firing. ‘‘I have not gone through the records,’’ he said.

But Bapunagar police inspector N K Barot, admitting that ‘‘around 40 persons’’ were killed, said that only ‘‘two died in police firing.’’ When asked how did the rest 38 die, he said: ‘‘I don’t know yet. Investigations are still on in all the cases. They suffered various kinds of injuries. It is difficult to say now.’’ Commissioner P C Pande wasn’t available.