Hyderabad cops open fire to control mob

HYDERABAD: In a gap of three hours, policemen have opened fire at two separate instances in the city. Incidentally, the incidents took place when Hyderabad police commissioner K Sreenivasa Reddy was conducting surprise checks during the night.
In the first instance, a senior officer of Hyderabad police fired in the air at Asif Nagar on Friday midnight.According to reports, a minor accident involving a police vehicle took place near a graveyard and a large crowd gathered at the site. When police tried to pacify the crowd, the angry mob reportedly charged at police.
Meanwhile, the senior officer, who was on night rounds, arrived at the spot. After inquiring what the commotion was about, the officer fired in the air after which the situation came under control. Though Hyderabad police brass remained tight-lipped about the incident, without giving an official clarification, sources said that given the charged situation and to prevent a ‘mob attack’, the officer took the step.
Police officers, while denying the firing incident, also confirmed to TOI that neither an FIR was registered nor (a general diary) entry was made on the firing incident at the Asif Nagar police station in whose jurisdiction the incident happened.
Later on Saturday, the second firing incident was reported at Mettuguda, where a policeman, part of a decoy team, opened fire at a gang planning mobile phone snatching offences.