Damning video shows state police fired directly at unarmed farmers

Video footage of the farmer protest in Maval near Pune earlier this week has shown that police did not fire bullets in to the air as per procedure, and clearly fired at head height into the crowd of protestors. Some officers also went on to fire into the crowd of farmers as they tried to escape.

Three persons were killed and scores of others injured in police firing in Maval following protests over a closed pipeline project to supply water to the industrial township of the Pimpri-Chinchwad town.

Meanwhile proceedings of the Maharashtra assembly were stalled by opposition members demanding an inquiry into the police firing.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, opposition members rushed to the well shouting slogans against the government for the firing.

“This is a cold-blooded encounter of the innocent farmers and police officials responsible for the same should be suspended immediately,” they said.

The ongoing ruckus in the assembly caused Speaker Dilip Walse-Patil to adjourn the house till the end of question hour and later for another 30 minutes as opposition members continued their protest, calling the government “murderers”.

Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil yesterday ordered a probe by a retired high court judge to investigate if the farmer agitation was politically instated and if there were police excesses in dispersing the protestors.

The report of the probe is to be submitted in three months.