Victims suffered multiple injuries in communal riots

HYDERABAD: Armed personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) seemed to have fired indiscriminately on rioters on Wednesday with some of them hit by multiple bullets, underscoring complete failure of the Cyberabad police in directing the paramilitary force to exercise caution.
Human rights activists wanted strong action against senior police officers, who ordered the BSF to fire, knowing well that they are trained to kill.
Examination of bodies by the forensic science departments of Gandhi and Osmania General Hospital revealed multiple bullet injuries above the waist.
Shockingly, Mohammed Fareed, 26, one of the three victims, was felled by four bullets on various parts of his body. Bullets pierced through Fareed's chest, left hand, left thigh and left leg.
In case of Mohammed Shujauddin Khateeb, 38, a bullet pierced through his chest, killing him instantly.
The post-mortem on these two victims was conducted at OGH, while autopsy on the third victim, Mohammed Wajid, 20, was done at Gandhi Hospital where doctors said he had one bullet injury.
Even among the injured victims, bullets were found mostly above the waist or in the thigh area.
Among the five injured people admitted at Premier Hospital, Nanalnagar, bullet injuries were found on the upper arm and two in the forearm. In one case, bullet injury was found in the thigh.
"Another injured victim was hit on his head requiring eight stitches," said Dr K Kamalakar, CEO, Premier Hospital.
Similarly, at Apollo Hospital, where three injured persons have been admitted, one has a bullet injury in his lower chest that has harmed his other vital organs including kidney, liver and gall bladder. Another has bullet injury in the arm, while the third patient suffered a deep cut in the thigh.
Bullets stuck in the thighs of two victims were removed at Care hospital.
Human rights activists condemned the firing and said BSF when deployed in civilian areas cannot operate like they do in border areas.
"They are a trigger-happy force and fire randomly. Action has to be taken against BSF personnel who fired at people," said Francis Raj, a human rights activist. "With President's rule in the state, police think it can do anything. It is not good for the state that will be bifurcated soon," Raj added.
Activists said shooting was not required at that time. "Live ammunitions should never be used for crowd control," said Mazhar Hussain, executive director, COVA.
"The flag burning incident was wrong but the reaction to the incident without ascertaining the identity of the people responsible for it was also wrong," said Nanak Singh Nishter, director, International Sikh Centre for Interfaith Relations.
He further added that "culprits need to be punished whichever religion they belong to. We keep swords but we are not entitled to use them to harm others. Use of swords or stones to harm others cannot be supported," said Nishter.