VITAL DOCUMENT: Secretary to AP State Human Rights Commission S. Chellappa receiving a CD from a police official during an inquiry in the city on Saturday. — Photo :C.V.Subrahmanyam

VISAKHAPATNAM: Secretary to the State Human Rights Commission S. Chellappa here on Saturday started an inquiry into the last year's incidents at Gangavaram village in which a fisherman was killed and several others were injured in police firing.

Mr. Chellappa, after examining the police officials involved in the incident, visited Gangavaram and inquired with the villagers about the incidents that happened on March 27 last year.

After concluding the day's proceedings at the Collectorate, Mr. Chellappa told reporters that the inquiry of police officials was over and Revenue officials had to be completed. He would conduct the inquiry on Sunday also.

Report in two days

The report would be submitted to the Commission in two days after completing the inquiry, he said.

Mr. Chellappa took details from the then Deputy Commissioner of Police Ravinder, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Armed Reserve) Papa Rao, Inspector of Police Karanam Kumar and other police officials on duty on that day. The then Mandal Revenue Officer Prabhakar Gandhi was also examined.

The Commission Secretary wanted to know why no civilian official (Revenue official) was present or not available at the time police opened fire and permission from a Sub-Divisional Magistrate was obtained before opening the fire on the crowd.

At Gangavaram Mr. Chellappa asked the villagers how the trouble had started during March last year.

The villagers said Special Deputy Collector Mohan Reddy had been rude when they started a dharna on March 25 last year and on March 27 the police had forcibly taken away those staging the dharna and this provoked the villagers.

BJP, CPI and CPI (M) leaders and some villagers spoke to Mr. Chellappa.

They alleged that the State Government had deceived them and their problems were not solved in full scale and the rehabilitation package was not implemented in full measure.

The State Government was responsible for the police firing and lathicharge in the village in which one fisherman was killed and many others, including women were injured, they said.

Mr. Chellappa went to the houses of some of the victims and asked them about the incidents during last March.

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