Two were hit in the skull with blunt object, possibly stick
By TCN Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Confirming the allegations of the locals that police opened fire at the protestors to kill, not to disperse them, the post mortem reports of six persons killed during the protest against desecration of Quran this past Friday in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh, have disclosed that four out of six were shot from as close range as four feet and 10 feet. Among the six, three were minors. Two policemen were also reportedly seriously wounded in the violence.
According to an Indian Express story today, three persons had got gunshots in the head while the fourth took a bullet in the thigh and died of excessive bleeding. Wahid (20) was shot from four feet. Luqman (14) also got gunshot from about 4 feet. Mohammad Arif (18) was shot from possibly 6 to 7 feet.
Hundreds of people had come to protest against the desecration of Quran in Masuri town of the district on 14th September. They reportedly turned violent when the local police allegedly did not take their compliant seriously. The violent crowd pelted stones at police station and set afire several vehicles. According to Jamiat Ulema Delhi president Abdur Razique, police did not use lathi charge or tear gas shells, rather it opened fire at the protestors. Jamiat leader had claimed that police officers admitted before his delegation that police had to open fire to protect themselves and they had not much time to use other methods.
However days after the incident, police have disputed as to how those people were killed – in police firing or private firing. “The three bullets have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for a ballistic report. We have not yet determined whether these people died due to police or private firing,” the English daily report today has quoted an unnamed police officer as saying.
Findings of the post mortems:
Wahid (20) got gunshot in the skull. The presence of blackening on the spot indicates he was shot possibly from 4 feet.
Lukman (14) got bullet to the right skull. The presence of blackening on the spot indicates he was shot possibly from 4 feet.
Hayat (35) also died due to bullet injury to the skull. The range is possibly 8 to 10 feet.
Mohammad Arif (18) got gunshot in the thigh. He died of excessive bleeding. The clothes had blackening, indicating a bullet fired from as close as 6 to 7 feet.
Amir Khan (16) was hit in the abdomen by a blunt instrument, possibly a stick, or by falling down.
Wasim (22) was hit in the left side of the skull by a blunt object. His skull was fractured.
A day after the killings in firing, the Uttar Pradesh government ordered inquiry and announced compensation for the victim families – Rs 5 lakh for the kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to one lakh for the injured. Later the government has suspended some police officers of the local police station.
Related stories:
http://twocircles.net/2012sep15/six_die_muslimpolice_clash.html
http://twocircles.net/2012sep15/police_didn%E2%80%99t_use_other_methods_opened_fire_crowd_ghaziabad_jamiat_leader.html