NASHIK, December 7: The State Government has on Tuesday announced a judicial inquiry into the police lathicharge in Aurangabad on Monday in which nearly 30 protestors including a dozen journalists were injured.Speaking to reporters at the Maharashtra Police Academy, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who also hold the Home portfolio, said that prima facie the lathicharge was a case of police excess. However, no riot had taken place and the victims of lathicharge received head injuries, he pointed out.Trouble broke out when a procession by members of Samajwadi Party and Muslim Kriti Samiti, to mark the seventh anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition turned violent, forcing the police to fire in the air and resort to lathicharge to disperse the activists and others, including media persons, outside the police commissionerate office.``The police detained about 300 to 400 agitators inside the police headquarters where 800 more protestors were brought in. This has raised some suspicions because such a large number of agitators are never held at the same venue. There was no immediate provocation for the police to behave in a high-handed manner,'' Bhujbal said. Bhujbal announced that the Aurangabad Police Commissioner Shripad Kulkarni has been sent on leave and DIG Suradkar has been asked take over charge. He also declared a financial assistance of Rs 10,000 to each injured person.Meanwhile, the district collector has been asked to prepare a report on the destruction of cameras and other equipment belonging to journalists.Earlier, Bhujbal urged the cadets of the police academy to control their behaviour and create an atmosphere in which crime would reduce. He pointed out that the behaviour of the police could make or break the image of the government.Bhujbal inaugurated a photo gallery and a museum here. Speaking on the occasion, the director of the academy, Dr P S Pasricha urged the government to spend more money on training institutions and stressed the need to create a swimming pool and an auditorium at the academy. Bhujbal, later, asked Pasricha to go ahead with his plans.
