Mangaluru Police don't want the truth to be disclosed, alleges People’s Tribunal
Justice Gopal Gowda headed tribunal says Mangaluru Police interfered in its proceedings
Mangaluru: The People’ Tribunal constituted by Indian Social Institute, Bangalore, Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) Karnataka Chapter and ‘Samvidhanadha Haadiyalli’ on Wednesday evening issued a press release after they were barred from addressing press conference by the local police. The people’s tribunal headed by Justice Gopala Gowda, former Supreme Court Judge, added that the Mangaluru Police does not want the truth about the December 19 incident to come out.
The press statement added that it heard testimonies from victims and their family members, families of the deceased, journalists present at the scene of the violence and prominent members of the local community and that it will release the final report soon.
Alleging that the police interfered in the proceedings of the tribunal, it added that deliberate attempts were made by the cops to see that the truth of the incident shall not be disclosed to the public.
“The very conduct of the proceedings of this Tribunal was sought to be interfered with by the Mangalore Police Administration on multiple occasions with a deliberate intention to see that the truth of the incident shall not be disclosed to the public. On 5th January 2019, a notice was addressed to one of the organisers which sought to preclude the Tribunal from conducting any hearing on the events of 19th December. It is still unclear on what grounds the notice was issued. Despite the Organisers’ insistence that the People’s Tribunal was a civil society initiative to create a public forum where grievances could be aired by the aggrieved persons and the public, the Police authorities alleged that this process interfered with on-going legal proceedings including a magisterial enquiry. Despite the fact that permission was initially sought from the Mangalore Commissioner of Police, P.S. Harsha, a notice dated 5/01/2020 was issued by Inspector Govindraju B, Mangalore North Police Station to one of the organisers of the People’s Tribunal. This course of action has been undertaken in an arbitrary manner without the authority of law by the said Inspector” the press statement stated.
“There have been further instances of obstruction of the Tribunal’s proceedings. After the hearing commenced on 6th January 2020, it was halted for over an hour as the venue’s owner expressed his reservations with the nature of the event. He cited the aforementioned notice and stated that he was wary of reprisals from the police and other authorities.
“Once the hearing and visits were completed by the Tribunal, a Press Conference was scheduled to be held to apprise the media of the observations of the Tribunal. However, under pressure from police authorities, it has become impossible for the People’s Tribunal to hold a Press Conference at any venue at this point in time as a number of hoteliers were only willing to provide a venue for the Press Conference on the condition that the organisers obtain permission from police authorities, which is not required in law” it further added.
“The public has a right to know of matters concerning violence against civilians as the police authorities are accountable to the people with regard to the events of 19th December. Therefore, with a fair mind, we will go into the testimonies of the witnesses that we have collected and prepare a final report that will stand the test of credibility in the eyes of all the concerned with regard to the incident on 19th December” the press statement added.
The invitation to depose before the Tribunal and share their experiences was extended to not just civil society, but also to officials especially the police. On 7th January, the members of the Tribunal visited some of the victims who are currently receiving medical treatment at Highlands Hospital and Unity Hospital. The Tribunal also conducted spot visits at some of the areas that were most severely affected by the violence on the 19th of December.
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Bondi Beach shooting suspect conducted firearms training with his father, Australian police say
Melbourne (AP): A man accused of killing 15 people at Sydney's Bondi Beach conducted firearms training in an area of New South Wales state outside of Sydney with his father, Australian police documents released on Monday allege.
The men recorded a video about their justification for the meticulously planned attack, according to a police statement of facts that was made public following Naveed Akram's video court appearance Monday from a Sydney hospital where he has been treated for an abdominal injury.
Officers wounded Akram at the scene of the Dec. 14 shooting and killed his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram.
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The New South Wales state government confirmed Naveed Akram was transferred on Monday from a hospital to a prison. Neither facility was identified by authorities.
The statement alleges the 24-year-old and his father began their attack by throwing four improvised explosive devices toward a crowd celebrating an annual Jewish event at Bondi Beach, but the devices failed to explode.
Police described the devices as three aluminium pipe bombs and a tennis ball bomb containing an explosive, black powder and steel ball bearings. None detonated, but police described them as “viable” IEDs.
Authorities have charged Akram with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of causing harm with intent to murder in relation to the wounded survivors and one count of committing a terrorist act.
The antisemitic attack at the start of the eight-day Hanukkah celebration was Australia's worst mass shooting since a lone gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania state in 1996.
The New South Wales government introduced draft laws to Parliament on Monday that Premier Chris Minns said would become the toughest in Australia.
The new restrictions would include making Australian citizenship a condition of qualifying for a firearms license. That would have excluded Sajid Akram, who was an Indian citizen with a permanent resident visa.
Sajid Akram also legally owned six rifles and shotguns. A new legal limit for recreational shooters would be a maximum of four guns.
Police said a video found on Naveed Akram's phone shows him with his father "reciting their political and religious views and appear to summarise their justification for the Bondi terrorist attack.”
The men are seen in the video “condemning the acts of Zionists” while they also “adhere to a religiously motivated ideology linked to the Islamic State,” police said.
Video shot in October shows them “firing shotguns and moving in a tactical manner” on grassland surrounded by trees, police said.
“There is evidence that the Accused and his father meticulously planned this terrorist attack for many months,” police allege.
