Maharashtra CM briefs Governor about Pune firing incident

Mumbai, Aug 12 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan met Governor K Shankaranarayanan at the Raj Bhavan here today and briefed him about the August 9 police firing on farmers on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

A raging controversy erupted over the police firing at Maval, near Pune, in which three farmers were killed after a video footage aired on Thursday showed some policemen apparently aiming their guns and shooting at unarmed protesters.

According to reports, two Pune cops have been suspended.

Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil had on Wednesday announced a judicial inquiry by a retired high court judge into the police firing on agitating farmers on the Pune-Mumbai expressway.

The Opposition has alleged that the police opened fire on the orders of a Minister in the Maharashtra Government

"SP Mr Karnik (Superintendent of Police, Pune-Rural) was standing behind some car, speaking to some politician and then he fired shots. Who is that politician who is interested in this pipeline and in this contract? We should look for that minister," said Maharashtra BJP chief Sudhir Mungantiwar.

The farmers were protesting against the release of water from the Pavana dam for a drinking water project in the industrial township of Pimpri-Chinchwad. (ANI)