Mr. Shetty was forced to give false statements, alleges Joyal Vas

Mr. Shetty was forced to give false statements, alleges Joyal Vas

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, July 29, 2010: Mr. Joyal Vas said that the statement issued by Mr. Gangadhar Shetty in one of the press meets conducted by the residents of Adyar Padavu in Neermarga is not true. He was speaking to reporters at a press meet held in Hotel Woodlands on July 20, Thursday. 

He also related the incident in which he, his father Justin Vas (56), and his neighbor Ganghadar Shetty were assaulted on June 2. The three were admitted to Wenlock Hospital that night and next morning, they were ordered to destroy the documents in which doctors had mentioned police torture. The three had been in police custody for more than 24 hours, he said and added that they were even threatened by the police on July 7. 

 

 

Mr. Joel Vas said that it all began with a land dispute and later assumed a political color. Joseph D’Souza, Alwyn Nazareth, and Jayson Menezes, who were all supporters of Fr. Charles Menezes, assaulted Justin Vas. Mr. Gangadhar Shetty witnessed the incident, owing to the three threatened him, forcibly took him to the Press Club, and told him to issue a statement against Justin and his son Joel Vas and in support of Sub Inspector Prakash. He said that Mr. Shetty had called him just before the press meet and had told him that he was being forcibly taken to the Press Club and that he had to agree because he has two daughters. 

SI Prakash had also warned Joel that he will book him so that he will not get a seat in engineering college. However, Joel Vas recorded the conversation. He said that the SI had threatened both Shetty and Vas and had filed a B report saying that Justin had suffered his injuries owing to a bike accident and that their complaint was false. He also alleged that the inspector had created a false witness called Ismail to close their FIR. 

Mr. Vas also said that he has explained the matter to Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh. 

President of PUCL P. B. D’Sa, Justin Vas, and Nirmal Kumar were present during the press meet.