Bombay HC to examine video recording of Maval police firing

A division bench of Justices S A Bobade and Mridula Bhatkar was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations seeking CBI or CID inquiry into the firing incident.

On August 9 last year, police had opened fire on a mob comprising of villagers gathered at Maval to oppose the government's decision of laying a closed pipe line to supply water from Pavna dam to the limits of Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporation.

Farmers had claimed that due to closed pipe line they would not get water for their crops. Three protestors were killed in the police firing.

Apart from seeking CBI or CID inquiry, the petitioners had also sought for an FIR to be registered against the then Superintendent of Police Karnik who was leading the team at Maval and was the first to open fire.

At present, FIR has been registered against two police officers and six constables.

The Maharashtra government had on the last hearing urged the court to go through the video recording of the entire incident.

According to the government, the police was left with no other option than to open fire on the mob which had refused to disperse despite several warnings from the police.

"We would like to see the CD in view of allegations made by the petitioners against Karnik," the bench said.

The judges were also informed by one of the petitioner, G Khandelwal, that the police had in November filed a C Summary report before the court stating that there was no evidence against the said police officers to prosecute them.

Khandelwal sought permission from the High Court to amend his petition to challenge the C Summary report submitted by the police.

The bench allowed it and posted the matter for hearing after two weeks.