Wednesday, Dec 31, 2003
Wednesday, Dec 31, 2003 |
| Southern States | ||||
|
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Science & Tech |
Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Southern States
-
Karnataka
By Our Special Correspondent
Mr. Kharge, who is also the district in-charge Minister, visited the village, eight km from Afzalpur town, and expressed his anguish over the senseless violence let loose by the gangster and assured the victims' families that the culprits responsible for this crime would not go unpunished. It was unfortunate that gang wars in Afzalpur district were taking a heavy toll and the Shirwal incident was a fallout of a dispute between different gangs. The Minister, who distributed cheques of Rs. 1.75 lakh as part payment of compensation, said the remaining Rs. 25,000 would be released soon after the court gave its verdict in the case. One person from each of the four families would be given employment in government departments wherever vacancies existed, within a fortnight. Noting that the four families did not own any agriculture land, Mr. Kharge directed the Commissioner of the Social Welfare Department, K. Shivaram, and the Deputy Commissioner, Anjum Parvez, to distribute two acres of agricultural land to the four families and provide irrigation facility by drilling borewells and providing electricity connections under the Ganga Kalyan scheme. Mr. Kharge said the people in the village need not have any apprehensions about their safety and the Government would take all measures to provide security to the villages hit by gang wars in Afzalpur taluk. The Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Subash Bharani, the Inspector General of Police, Kempaiah, and the Superintendent of Police, K. Ramachandra Rao, were present.
Kharge consoles families
A young widow who lost her husband just three months after her marriage and the sorrowing families of the others killed in the shooting spree were consoled by Mr. Kharge. Some of the young children of the victims, who witnessed the terrifying moments, told the Minister that they could identify five of the gang members who participated in the carnage. A village elder and leader of the Vaddar community, Thippanna Vaddar, who took Mr. Kharge and the senior officials accompanying him around, explained what had happened and said the villagers were taken by surprise by the orgy of violence let loose by the gangsters without provocation. The four victims were not in any way connected with gang warfare, a common feature in Afzalpur taluk, and were landless labourers. Mr. Vaddar told Mr. Kharge said that the victims were having their dinner when the gangsters barged into their one-room houses and sprayed bullets killing four people on the spot and injuring three others, including two young girls. Jyothi, the widow who is still in her teens, was yet to get over the shock of losing her husband, Shettappa Ramanna. She fell at Mr. Kharge's feet and explained how her husband was felled by the bullets of the gangsters. Jyothi told Mr. Kharge that she had studied up to SSLC in one of the schools run by the People's Education Society, which was once managed by Mr. Kharge. A visibly moved Mr. Kharge directed the Deputy Commissioner and the Commissioner of the Social Welfare Department to see that she was given a government job immediately. Mr. Kharge visited the four houses in which the gangsters had opened fire. During his visit to the house of Thayappa, Mr. Kharge inspected the bullet marks on the wall outside the house and also the bullet marks and bloodstains on the floor of the house. The villagers told the Minister that the men of some families had fled from the village fearing another attack and wanted the police protection in the Vaddar colony in the village to be continued for some more days till all the gangsters involved in the shootout were arrested. Mr. Kharge assured them that the police protection would continue as long as it was required and that all the persons involved in the shootout would be arrested soon. Talking to presspersons later, Mr. Kharge said the police were on the trail of the killers and expressed confidence that the culprits would be arrested in a couple of days. The police had already rounded up a few suspects, and others involved in the crime, including the main accused, Namdev, who is a gram panchayat member, would be arrested shortly. Mr. Kharge also announced relief of Rs. 50,000 each to the three injured in the shootout.
Printer friendly
page
News:
Front Page |
National |
Southern States |
Other States |
International |
Opinion |
Business |
Sport |
Science & Tech |
Miscellaneous |
|
|
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | The Hindu eBooks | Home |
Copyright © 2003, The
Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu
|
