Mangaluru : After almost two years, the government has given a clean chit to Mangaluru Police. The firing happened when the then Commissioner PS Harsha was the police chief and he defended the department’s action.

The inquiry report was submitted in a closed envelope to the Karnataka government and the matter will come up for hearing before the High Court division bench headed by Chief Justice Ritiraj Avasthi on Friday.

The lawyer representing the government of Karnataka had said that the report submitted by the magistrate has been accepted by the government, thereby giving a clean chit to Mangaluru police. The bench has postponed the hearing in the case and at the same time directed the government to submit an affidavit regarding the same.

In December 2019, hundreds of protesters assembled and led a march towards Mangaluru North Police station. Stones were pelted and tyres were burnt. As the agitation turned violent, the police opened fire in which two persons Nausheen and Jaleel suffered bullet injuries and died.

Following the orders, Udupi Deputy Commissioner G Jagadeesha conducted the magisterial probe and issued notices to over 150 police personnel including then City Police commissioner PS Harsha to appear before the panel. The police gave statements on the violence and the firing.

The CAA protest in Delhi turned violent and turned into communal clashes resulting in many deaths in February 2020.

At least 53 were killed and hundreds of them were injured as anti and pro CAA activists clashed.

Aam Aadmi Party members and a few others were arrested for allegedly staging riots in some parts then. Right-wing leader Kapil Mishra also had warned the protesters to move away from the protesting site then.