AIADMK seeks arrest of those behind ‘leak’ in Thoothukudi report

Though the Commission’s report was not released yet by the government, a magazine has reported on panel’s findings, AIADMK leader D Jayakumar said. The media is holding ‘unnecessary’ debates based on the reportage, he said

Chennai

Thirteen civilians died allegedly by police firing on the 100th day of the anti-Sterlite protests in Thoothukudi in May 2018. (Mksr2020 / Wikimedia Commons)

The main opposition AIADMK on Sunday demanded that the DMK government arrest those responsible for the ‘leak’ of Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission’s report submitted to the government on 2018 Thoothukudi police firing.

Although the Commission’s report was not released yet by the government, a magazine has reported on panel’s findings, AIADMK leader D Jayakumar said. The media is holding ‘unnecessary’ debates based on the reportage and the ‘leak’ is a ‘drama’ enacted by chief minister M K Stalin to deflect people’s attention from ‘atrocities,’ Jayakumar, a former minister, alleged.

Those responsible for the ‘leak’ of the document from the government side should be arrested, he said in a statement.

The magazine had reported on some aspects of the Commission of Inquiry’s (CoI) report. The commission of inquiry was constituted to look into the circumstances surrounding police firing on anti-Sterlite protesters on May 22, 2018. The panel was set up following the police firing in which 13 people were killed. On May 18, 2022, the panel’s final report was submitted to chief minister Stalin. The CPI(M) had urged Stalin to release the panel’s report. The government said on Saturday that the Commission’s report would be tabled in the Tamil Nadu assembly along with the action taken report.