Trader appears in court in connection with Ramabai Nagar riot Relatives of victims killed in police firing at Ramabai Nagar here in July 1997 following desecration of Dr B R Ambedkar's statue, today opposed the bail of Sub Inspector Manohar Kadam, who had allegedly ordered the cops to fire on a mob. Additional principal sessions judge A J Dholakia asked them to assist the additional public prosecutor Mohan Sawant in arguments, and adjourned to September 12 the anticipatory bail petition of PSI Manohar Kadam. Meanwhile, the interim relief granted earlier (of not arresting the applicant) would continue until then. Kadam was present in the court and pleaded for exemption on the next occasion. However, the court turned down his plea after prosecutor Mohan Sawant opposed. The judge directed him to appear in person on September 12. Kadam had allegedly ordered the police firing on a violent mob following desecration of Ambedkar's statue on July 11, 1997, at Ramabai Nagar in suburban Ghatkopar leading to death of ten persons. The crime branch had registered a case against Kadam under section 304 IPC for ordering the police firing. The justice S D Gundewar commission of inquiry, in its findings, opined that the firing was unwarranted. Kadam was suspended from service but reinstated later. Kadam's lawyer Rajendra Shirodkar submitted that his client, who had led 20 cops of state reserve police force on the ill-fated day, had acted in the course of his official duty because the mob gathered at Ramabai Nagar would have set afire two tankers stationed nearby. He also referred to a report of National Environment and Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) which opined that great devastation would have occurred within 100 metres if the tankers had caught fire.
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