Justice Rao, who probed the police firing at Mudigonda in Khammam district on July 28, 2007, in which seven people were killed, submitted his report to the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, on Wednesday.
The report pointed out lapses in the way the police handled the agitating mob. Some police personnel who fired at the mob were drunk, it said.
Justice Rao observed that police did not have rubber bullets or tear gas shells to disperse the mob. “There would not have been casualties had the police tried out other means to disperse the mob,” he pointed out.
Official sources told this correspondent that the commission took a critical view of political parties resorting to rasta roko and stone throwing while conducting agitations.
Leaders were not able to control the huge crowds which parties mobilised for their programmes, the panel said.
“They (political parties) have right to protest but should not cause trouble to people,” the report said. Though no specific charges were made against Communist Party of India (Marxist) activist Bandi Ramesh, who “piloted the agitation”, the commission pointed out that the former left wing extremist triggered the events that led to the firing.
And contrary to the CPM’s claim that it was brutal caning of Ramesh that led to the violence, the commission revealed that only two simple injuries were found on his body. Sources said Justice Rao pointed out that protesters continued with the road blockade despite repeated pleas from the police. There were no stone guards with the police to protect themselves from stones hurled by the agitators.
The commission, sources said, pointed out that the situation remained grim even after the lathicharge and this led to the police firing. Two circle inspectors, three sub-inspectors, and a constable who was the gunman of the additional SP, Mr Ramesh Babu, participated in the firing.
The commission suggested that specific places should be identified in the districts to hold agitations on the lines of Hyde Park in London, Jantar Mantar in Delhi and Dharna Chowk near Indira Park in city.
It also wanted government to equip the district police with stone guards, tear gas shells and rubber bullets.