Balkhees Banu, chairperson, Karnataka State Minorities Commission, has suspected that the Mudhol communal violence that erupted on the night of September 23 could be a premeditated one.
Interaction
Speaking to The Hindu after visiting the riot-hit area on Wednesday, she said that while the many reports that came to her suggested that it was a well-planned attack, her suspicion gained strength after interacting with the victims.
Well-orchestrated
“The reports said that stones were brought by the truck-load and thrown at shops and houses, while the victims said that several cans filled with kerosene were being thrown at the houses and shops. The question is from where did such huge quantity of kerosene was procured when it was not available in the open market. The same is the case with the large quantity of stones; how was a truck-load of stones obtained within minutes in the middle of the night. It only goes to show that the entire episode was well-orchestrated and executed,” she said.
Ms. Banu, however, said that she has asked the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police to submit detailed report on the violence. “If I find that the report submitted by the district administration is not speaking truth or is biased, then I would seek an independent investigation,” she warned. Asked whether she is happy with the investigation, Ms. Banu said that she cannot say so because the main culprits remain absconding.
The police have arrested some persons, but they appear to be only small players, while the main culprits are still out of reach of the law. “Thus, I have asked the police to intensify search and arrest the main offenders,” she said.
About the loss incurred by the victims of the riot, she admitted that most of them lost their everything in the fire. “The worst affected are petty shop and pushcart owners as they have to start from scratch after losing everything in the violence,” Ms. Banu said. She said that under a Union Government scheme, full compensation could be given to pushcart owners to restart their business. “I have asked the local authorities to prepare a list of the victims and get funds under the scheme for them,” she said.
