By TCN Staff Reporter,
Mumbai: Senior photographer of MiD DAY Atul Kamble was brutally beaten by police during the violence at Azad Maidan on Saturday. Policemen damaged his camera and even tried to snatch it from him. All these scenes have been captured by other photographers present on the spot. When the English daily asked police authorities why his photographer was beaten, the Mumbai police said he was beaten owing to misidentification. But the answer and photos have raised some other questions.
Kamble and many other media persons were at Azad Maidan on Saturday to cover the protest demonstration against killings in Assam and Myanmar. When the violence erupted Kamble was inside the maidan capturing the gathering. As the news spread about violence outside the gate, people started fleeing and Kamble came out to capture what was happening outside. While he was capturing the incident and police action, cops started beating him. He sustained severe injuries to his head, hand and spine.
Cops lathi-charged Kamble owing to which he sustained severe injuries to his head, hand and spine. Policemen snatching his camera- Photo courtesy MiD DAY
“…the authorities lathi-charged him causing injuries to his head, hand and spine. The authorities also snatched his camera and damaged his lens, without giving him time to provide any explanation,” said the daily in its report http://www.mid-day.com/news/2012/aug/130812-mumbai-It-was-a-case-of-misidentification.htm on 13th August.
“When MiD DAY contacted various senior level officials, several promises were made stating that such incidents would not be repeated in the future. As to why a media person was attacked with such brutality, Nisar Tamboli, the spokesperson for the Mumbai police, said, “It was a matter of confusion. He (Atul) was attacked owing to misidentification. We will try to ensure that such incidents do not repeat in the future,” says the report.
“A day after the city was rocked by the riots at Azad Maidan, investigations are ongoing and cops are attempting to ascertain the cause and arrest of those responsible for the violence. However, MiD DAY’s photographer Atul Kamble, who was attacked by the police during the riots, is still waiting for a reason as to why he was brutally assaulted,” says the MiD DAY report.
The reason seems lying part in his look and part in the photos he captured. Atul Kamble was holding his camera and he was shooting pictures for a while on the spot, and he could be clearly identified – it was broad daylight – that he was a photo journalist. As Kamble sports a beard, so it is possible policemen thought he was a protestor and started beating him. But there could be another reason why he was attacked and his camera was damaged by policemen who also tried to snatch it from him. From the photos he captured, it seems brave photo journalist Kamble had captured the police in ‘action’.
A protester being beaten by police. Photo by Atul Kamble, courtesy MiD DAY
The same protester now being beaten by a dozen policemen, Photo by Atul Kamble, courtesy MiD DAY
A policeman apparently asking photographers to not capture the scene, Photo by Atul Kamble, courtesy MiD DAY
Click the link below to see other photos Atul Kamble captured at Azad Maidan on 11th August 2012
http://photos.mid-day.com/news/mob-violence-in-mumbai/mob-violence-mumbai1/