MANGALORE : “ I have seen with my own eyes the women police led by the then SP Satish Kumar lathi charging women and children during the attack on Kulshekhar church,” said Leo Mascarenhas, the prime witness in the Kulshekhar church attack case.
She was replying to a cross examination by the counsel for the police Narayana Reddy during the hearing of the Justice BK Somasekhara Commission probing into the church attack cases at the Circuit House in the city on Monday.
Responding to the cross examination by Jagadish Shenava, counsel for Bhajrangdal, Sr Selma, retired teacher said “ The name of Bhajrangdal was not included with a prejudiced motive in the affidavit submitted to the Commission regarding the incident that took place at the Holy Cross Church at Kulshekhar on September 15,2008. I have seen with my own eyes the youth wearing saffron shawls and tilaks on their forehead with sticks in their hands, attacking the members of the Christian community present there by shouting ‘hit them hit them’. Thus I could identify them as people from Bhajrangdal.”
Replying to a query from Counsel Narayana Reddy she said “During the untoward incident at Kulshekhar Church, I had appealed to the then circle inspector Ganapathi for personal protection. The church management committee had informed the police the previous day itself on the peaceful protest they planned. But during the incident that day, the then SP Satish Kumar had personally abused me,” she reiterated the statement made by her in the affidavit.
Sr Seline Petra, teacher in Sacred Heart School, too, while deposing before the Commission said she identified the men as Bhajrangdal activists as they were shouting ‘Bhajrangdal Jai’ slogans during the incident.
Ibrahim, MP Noronha, Francis, advocates for the Christian witnesses, Timmavagol of the Enquiry Commission were present during the hearing.
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