Worst massacre in Andhra Pradesh's history
This point blank shooting of 20 labourers in Andhra Pradesh clearly shows the brutality of police and its accompanying force. You had a video of a black man being shot in South Carolina and that helped to prove culpability of a police officer. Here no such video existed. Police version was all about firing in self defence. All shots were fired by them in the chest or face. Second there were marks on their wrists. Third there were torture marks on other parts of body. One police personnel present there stated that labourers whom they found to be smugglers attacked them with sickle and stones. If being attacked with sickle and stones how could these police personnel shoot them and that too with so much of precision. The marks on wrists suggests they were tied, tortured in other parts of the body (burn marks) and then shot. Only shooting from a close range can explain the shots in chest and face. And they say firing in self defence for being attacked by sickle and stones. If they were attacked by sickle and stones they would have fired from some distance and in that case shots in the chest and face could not happen in all the cases. The reality is some labourers as one witness stated were picked up by plainclothesmen from a bus, taken to these spots. The witness who fears for his life has gone into hiding as immeasurable pressure would be brought on him to retract his version or his relations/acquaintances would be pressurised to make him change his version. If this witness had a video, it would have been amply clear that these 20 labourers were shot from a close range (given the shots in the face and chest), before being shot they were tied as signs on wrists clearly suggest that and torture marks on parts of body suggest before being shot they were subjected to that. Even if there is no video the entire sequence of events clearly point towards the labourers being first arrested, subjected to torture on different body parts and being shot from a close range. Shooting with precision in self defence when it is pitch dark/ wee hours is something that does not carry conviction. And all these labourers have been described as smugglers, well in reality those picked up from the bus were going to get some work.
This barbaric shooting by policemen shows the least control the administration has on them Still the police chief of the state says is there a law to suggest that shots are to be fired below knee. Perhaps the supreme court guideline he is not aware of. Today this barbaric incident, tomorrow another barbaric incident would happen, the policemen would go scot free, and police chief would ask media to ask intelligent questions. Twenty labourers have been shot and the entire clamour for suspension of police personnel involved in the incident and sacking of police chief has been seen across different news channels/media. One writer suggested that had this incident taken place in the US where these number of people belonging to one race/community being shot, the govt's days in office would have been numbered. No one would like such incidents to have a repeat in any part of the world.
As for comments to this report of barbaric shooting in the net stated that police action is justified, the rationale can be traced to these comments being made by acquaintances of policemen. Otherwise if neutral opinion has to be sought, the clamour among responsible citizens would be to sack the police chief and sack the police personnel involved in this barbaric act. One black man being shot in South Carolina and the video surfacing of the same saw the policeman being dismissed and put behind bars. Here in national capital this sort of fake encounter in the 90s saw two businessperson being shot and the police chief being dismissed the very next day. Though he tendered his resignation, it almost amounted to being dismissed. When such fake encounters take place in national capital, quick action some govts take, in other cases 20 labourers being shot in one place and in other case five convicts being shot in telangana shows the arrogant style of police functioning and no action being taken against state police chief and police personnel involved. Such barbaric acts are taking place in a country where political class has least intention to set corrective measures and with such inaction only things are going to get bad. Already repercussions have been felt across border and take measures before things go out of hand.
The paper of new york city had the story of a black being shot as the lead story. Though media highlighted this incident, there were sections of media putting this as second or third lead or some carrying as single column and some even not bothering to carry the story. They are so fearful of police brutality that they carried just as single column or no mention of the same. Media has to rise, the police brutality has to be brought out in the open otherwise repercussions would be felt across different layers of society. Had the video existed of this barbaric shooting then and only then a set of corrective measures would have been taken. The entire population of the country is over 1.2 billion and the number of those who are disgruntled/dissatisfied or could sway this way or that way outnumbers the population of north america as a continent. There is no need to draw a parallel but
given the low net penetration and low circulation of news one could live with these barbaric shootings for a day. It won't take long before these barbaric incidents if not checked leads to a wider problem.
This point blank shooting of 20 labourers in Andhra Pradesh clearly shows the brutality of police and its accompanying force. You had a video of a black man being shot in South Carolina and that helped to prove culpability of a police officer. Here no such video existed. Police version was all about firing in self defence. All shots were fired by them in the chest or face. Second there were marks on their wrists. Third there were torture marks on other parts of body. One police personnel present there stated that labourers whom they found to be smugglers attacked them with sickle and stones. If being attacked with sickle and stones how could these police personnel shoot them and that too with so much of precision. The marks on wrists suggests they were tied, tortured in other parts of the body (burn marks) and then shot. Only shooting from a close range can explain the shots in chest and face. And they say firing in self defence for being attacked by sickle and stones. If they were attacked by sickle and stones they would have fired from some distance and in that case shots in the chest and face could not happen in all the cases. The reality is some labourers as one witness stated were picked up by plainclothesmen from a bus, taken to these spots. The witness who fears for his life has gone into hiding as immeasurable pressure would be brought on him to retract his version or his relations/acquaintances would be pressurised to make him change his version. If this witness had a video, it would have been amply clear that these 20 labourers were shot from a close range (given the shots in the face and chest), before being shot they were tied as signs on wrists clearly suggest that and torture marks on parts of body suggest before being shot they were subjected to that. Even if there is no video the entire sequence of events clearly point towards the labourers being first arrested, subjected to torture on different body parts and being shot from a close range. Shooting with precision in self defence when it is pitch dark/ wee hours is something that does not carry conviction. And all these labourers have been described as smugglers, well in reality those picked up from the bus were going to get some work.
This barbaric shooting by policemen shows the least control the administration has on them Still the police chief of the state says is there a law to suggest that shots are to be fired below knee. Perhaps the supreme court guideline he is not aware of. Today this barbaric incident, tomorrow another barbaric incident would happen, the policemen would go scot free, and police chief would ask media to ask intelligent questions. Twenty labourers have been shot and the entire clamour for suspension of police personnel involved in the incident and sacking of police chief has been seen across different news channels/media. One writer suggested that had this incident taken place in the US where these number of people belonging to one race/community being shot, the govt's days in office would have been numbered. No one would like such incidents to have a repeat in any part of the world.
As for comments to this report of barbaric shooting in the net stated that police action is justified, the rationale can be traced to these comments being made by acquaintances of policemen. Otherwise if neutral opinion has to be sought, the clamour among responsible citizens would be to sack the police chief and sack the police personnel involved in this barbaric act. One black man being shot in South Carolina and the video surfacing of the same saw the policeman being dismissed and put behind bars. Here in national capital this sort of fake encounter in the 90s saw two businessperson being shot and the police chief being dismissed the very next day. Though he tendered his resignation, it almost amounted to being dismissed. When such fake encounters take place in national capital, quick action some govts take, in other cases 20 labourers being shot in one place and in other case five convicts being shot in telangana shows the arrogant style of police functioning and no action being taken against state police chief and police personnel involved. Such barbaric acts are taking place in a country where political class has least intention to set corrective measures and with such inaction only things are going to get bad. Already repercussions have been felt across border and take measures before things go out of hand.
The paper of new york city had the story of a black being shot as the lead story. Though media highlighted this incident, there were sections of media putting this as second or third lead or some carrying as single column and some even not bothering to carry the story. They are so fearful of police brutality that they carried just as single column or no mention of the same. Media has to rise, the police brutality has to be brought out in the open otherwise repercussions would be felt across different layers of society. Had the video existed of this barbaric shooting then and only then a set of corrective measures would have been taken. The entire population of the country is over 1.2 billion and the number of those who are disgruntled/dissatisfied or could sway this way or that way outnumbers the population of north america as a continent. There is no need to draw a parallel but
given the low net penetration and low circulation of news one could live with these barbaric shootings for a day. It won't take long before these barbaric incidents if not checked leads to a wider problem.
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