Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 21: Special Director General of Border Security Force (BSF) Dilip Trivedi, who had been asked by Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to investigate firing incident at Dharam, Gool in Ramban district on July 18 in which four civilians were killed and 42 others were injured, has collected lot of evidence including some videos and inter-acted with several officials of security forces, intelligence agencies, police and civil administration besides some local people before returning to New Delhi this afternoon.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Mr Trivedi would be submitting an exhaustive report on the happenings at Dharam in Gool area of Ramban district on the intervening night of July 17 and 18 and the morning of July 18 on the basis of statements recorded by him from field commanders of BSF, police officers, civil administration, intelligence agencies and local people to whom he met throughout the day yesterday.
Significantly, sources said, some agencies have given the Special DG BSF pictorial evidence including videos of mob attack on the BSF camp of 76 battalion at Dharam, Gool, which forced the security personnel to open firing on the protesters leading to four fatal casualties and injuries to 42 others.
“The BSF is in the possession of pictorial and video evidence, which showed the mob attacking the BSF camp at Dharam. Such was the mob fury that the security forces had been left with no option but to open firing,” sources said but declined to comment on the perception of situation given to Mr Trivedi by the officers of local agencies including police and civil administration, present there.
The Special DG BSF also met a number of local people, who blamed the BSF for desecration of holy book that instigated the mob. The local people also blamed police for the firing.
Sources said Mr Trivedi has also taken the view point of officers of civil and police administration of Ramban to add to their report. He has recorded statements of BSF officers of 76 battalion and the Incharge of Dharam camp, the soldiers deployed there, the police personnel of Gool police station and the local people.
Some BSF officers provided the Special Director General of BSF with pictorial and video evidence, sources confirmed.
Mr Trivedi, who flew back to New Delhi this afternoon, would be submitting a detailed report to Mr Shinde based on his inter-actions with all those, who mattered in Gool including the local people.
The BSF had been insisting that the anti-national elements had got mixed-up in the crowd and they opened firing on the security forces in which a BSF jawan sustained a bullet wound in his stomach, who was still admitted in the Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu. The BSF had maintained that they had opened firing in self-defence as the mob was bent upon looting weapons from their camp.
On the day of firing at Dharam followed by large-scale protests by the people against the killings, Mr Shinde had ordered a high level inquiry into the incident and asked Mr Trivedi to proceed to the spot for investigations and submit report to him.
The Union Home Ministry would announce further action on the basis of the findings of Mr Trivedi.
Meanwhile, police have constituted a Special Investigating Team (SIT) headed by DySP Headquarters, Ramban, Prabheet Singh for investigations into the FIRs registered at Gool police station against police, BSF and rioters.
Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, MH Malik told the Excelsior that the people have been assured that the SIT would take all aspects into account and expedite investigations in the case.
“Action would be taken against any one found responsible,” Mr Malik said, adding the people dispersed after the assurance and resumed their business.
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