Imphal, November 27: Advocate P Tomcha Meetei, representing the victims of the June 18 firing incident before the C Upendra commission of inquiry, argued today that firing by the CRPF personnel posted at the Raj Bhavan and chief minister's, bungalow that resulted in 14 deaths was entirely unnecessary.

As argument hearing continued before the commission, Tomcha Meetei maintained that the crowd of protestors that had gathered on the street in front of the southern gate of the Raj Bhavan had never threatened the life of the Governor.

He further contended that the entire was under the control of the state civil police, led by various high ranking police officers, right from 11 am to 2 pm.

He pointed out that there had been no firing on the part of the civil police, and charged that the CRPF personnel posted at the Raj Bhavan had opened fire without cause after the high ranking state police officers had left the scene.

The counsel also claimed that the firing by CRPF personnel posted at the chief minister's bungalow on the same day was also unnecessary.

He pointed out that the CRPF personnel had not opened fire when the crowd first made its way into the compound, nor did they open fire on the persons who set fire to the buildings inside the chief minister's bungalow.

He maintained the CRPF personnel, including the officer in command, considered their armory more important than the protection of the buildings inside the compound.

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