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'There was no need to shoot'

Updated on: 09 January,2009 08:20 AM IST  | 
MiD DAY Correspondent |

Human rights body says army guards need not have killed Mukaram; police too shouldn't have chased him

'There was no need to shoot'

DRAGGED TO DEATH: Drag racer Mukaram Pasha

Human rights body says army guards need not have killed Mukaram; police too shouldn't have chased him

There was no need for the police to chase the bike of Mukaram, when they could have only noted down the registration number. Also, there was no need for the army guards to shoot at the 19-year-old boy when only warning shots in the air would have sufficed.

This was the opinion of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), which will not only investigate as to why the army guards opened fire, but also check out why the police chased him.

Probe into shooting

The SHRC, in its order, said that a member of the commission R H Raddi would conduct an investigation into the shooting and submit a fact-finding report within one month.

SICHREM, a human rights organization, in its complaint to the SHRC, had question the police role too. It has said, "The traffic police ought not to have pursued the two youth. They could have simply taken their vehicle registration number and issued notices later. It is not their responsibility to chase people suspected of traffic offences."

It has also condemned the army for firing on Mukaram who was unarmed. "The army personnel on guard were extremely reckless in their use of gunfire. Mukaram was unarmed and therefore their conduct could in no way be considered self-defence. Furthermore, six shots were fired, one of which caused Mukaram's death. This is an extremely excessive use of force where warning shots or non-fatal shots would have been appropriate."

Mukaram was chased by the police, when he was drag racing on Airport Road. He then jumped over a wall and got into Flag Staff House, which belonged to the Army Sub Area Commander. The guards on duty shot him when he did not surrender and tried to escape.




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