Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) Alok Mohan on Wednesday said that there was no intelligence failure in foreseeing stone-throwing at B.C. Road on Saturday and in fact, police thought leaders in Sharath’s funeral procession would prevent untoward incidents.
Asked whether the police have concluded that those in the procession initiated stone-throwing, he clarified that investigation was still on and the police are verifying all visual recordings. Cases were booked against some leaders who should have ensured order in the procession, Mr. Mohan said.
Speaking to reporters here after reviewing the law and order situation in Bantwal taluk, Mr. Mohan responded to a query on allowing the funeral procession during a tense situation and when prohibitory orders were in force. Asked about the allegations by the BJP that the police have been targeting Sangh Parivar leaders by booking cases against them to silence them, Mr. Mohan said that charge-sheets would be filed only after thorough investigation.
He also said that if there was any police failure in foreseeing or curbing trouble, action would be initiated against the officials concerned.
On the delay in arresting Sharath’s assailants, Mr. Mohan said that the police have definite clues and they would be arrested soon. Each case was different and required its own time-frame to come to a conclusion; some cases are detected in a couple of days and others might take months, he said.
He reiterated that no innocent would be troubled and no guilty would be spared by the police, who are taking time to exactly ascertain the perpetrators of crime.
Meanwhile, he sent out a strong message to rumour mongers in the social media saying that the police would act tough against those spreading false information, particularly with regard to any crime. Bantwal is peaceful after Saturday’s incident mainly due to cooperation from the general public, he said. Mr. Mohan justified the continuation of prohibitory orders imposed under Section 144 of Cr.PC in the rest of Dakshina Kannada except Mangaluru City Police Commissionerate limits. It is to ensure that there was no further trouble. Prohibitory orders would not affect normal life, he added.
Inspector-General of Police (Western Range) P. Harishekaran, Police Commissioner T.R. Suresh and Superintendent of Police C.H. Sudheer Kumar Reddy were present.
