Source : The Hindu Date : 28.06.2009
CMC authorities not cooperating in probe’
Staff Correspondent
Video clipping shows three persons walking about outside CMC meeting hall
Bijapur: Owing to the lack of cooperation from the Bijapur City Municipal Council authorities and staff, the police have been unable to trace the miscreants responsible for the attack on CMC meeting hall on June 23. The police have interrogated 14 persons in connection with the incident including Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S) State unit secretary Bandenawaz Mahabari, who led the protest to demand proper drinking water supply in the city on the day of the incident. The police also interrogated four other JD(S) workers.
Anti-social elements had made an attempt to set fire to the City Municipal Council (CMC) president’s chair at the meeting hall during a protest rally organised by the Janata Dal (S) district unit to bring pressure to bear on the CMC authorities to supply drinking water regularly.
Additional Superintendent of Police F.A. Trasgar told The Hind u that police officials were unable to make any progress in the case because of the non-cooperation of the CMC authorities and councillors. It would not be possible to trace the culprits without their support, he added.
Though it was the responsibility of the CMC authorities to restrict entry of unauthorised persons into the meeting hall, the police had suspended sub-inspector Brijesh Mathew on charges of dereliction of duty. However, the CMC authorities had not initiated any action against the staff responsible for maintaining the meeting hall and the documents, he said.
The CMC councillors, who were present during the incident, had been avoiding police officials, he added.
Only Clue
Mr. Trasgar said that the only available clue with the police was a video clipping taken during the JD(S) protest in which three unidentified persons were seen walking about outside the CMC meeting hall.
However, both the CMC authorities and the JD(S) workers were unable identify these persons during the interrogation as their faces were not clear in the video clipping, he said.
