Click to play videoNew Delhi: The debate over whether the shootout in Mumbai was an encounter or a brutal murder as claimed by Bihar's politicians has deepened. However, even as politicians battle out the ethics of the shootout, the Shiv Sena has come out in support of the Mumbai Police's action.
The party has commented on the incident in Tuesday's edition of its mouthpiece, Saamna. It reads: 'Rahul Raj's actions represent the gun-totting ways of Bihar's mafia.'
The party has lauded the way the police acted saying the police did the right thing by shooting down Rahul Raj. The postmortem is over and his body has been handed over to his family.
Nonetheless, questions still being raised on whether the killing could have been avoided or not.
Maharashtra Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh ordered high level inquiry into the incident. Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar has also demanded a judicial probe into the death of the Bihari student.
"We want strong action action against the perpetrators of violence. The Prime Minister shares our concerns and we don't want a repeat of the Maharashtra violence. Rahul Raj could have been captured alive. There was no need for the police to shoot him down," said Nitish Kumar.
The shootout has also whipped up a storm at the Centre. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has spoken to Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and has asked him to ensure security of all sections of the society in the state.
Railway Minister Lalu Prasad has also urged the Prime Minister to call an all-party meeting to discuss the matter.
"We demand a judicial inquiry from a Supreme Court sitting judge into the incident. We want sedition charges against Raj Thackeray. He has been targetting North Indians for quite some time now," Lalu Prasad said.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai crime branch to has said that it will inquire into the incident.
Rahul Raj who hailed from Bihar was shot dead in Mumbai after he took the conductor of a BEST bus hostage and injured a commuter. It was perhaps the high point of a drama that has pitted Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and North Indians against each other in Maharashtra.
Another conductor in the lower deck had alerted the police. Within minutes the bus was surrounded, and after convincing Rahul to let the commuters go, policemen entered the bus. When they asked him to surrender, Rahul reportedly opened fire with a country-made pistol and the police shot him down. Despite criticism, police say, there was no other way.
They said that the safety of the 13 passengers on the bus was important to them.
"Our officers acted in a professional manner. We did what was appropriate at that moment. Rahul's body has been handed over to the relatives. A hotel room key and an eye card was recovered from him. Rahul had earlier said that he wants to talk to the police and that he wanted to take revenge from Raj Thackeray. The ACP asked Rahul to surrender but he refused. Three police officers fired at him. A total of 13 rounds were fired at Rahul," said a spokesperson of the Mumbai Police.
Former Mumbai police commissioner, Y P Singh added, "The police are justfied as there was an apprehension of threat to their lives as well as that of the public. There is no legal irregularity. A calculated risk could have been taken to see that the person is arrested."
Meanwhile, the Bihar Police is sending the IG of the CID to Mumbai to probe the incident.
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