E-Paper
Thoothukudi firing: Stalin calls firing ‘black spot’, promises to expedite action
Chennai: Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Wednesday termed the 2018 anti-Sterlite protest firing case a “black spot” in the history of the state, and assured to expedite disciplinary proceedings against senior police officers
Chennai: Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Wednesday termed the 2018 anti-Sterlite protest firing case a “black spot” in the history of the state, and assured to expedite disciplinary proceedings against senior police officers.
On May 22, 2018, 13 protesters were killed and hundreds sustained injuries in police firing on demonstrators demanding closing down of mining company Vedanta’s smelter that produced 4,00,000 tonnes of copper per annum. Activists in Thoothukudi had alleged that the plant, which was set up in 1996, was contaminating the region’s air and water resources. The unit was later closed down.
A Commission of Inquiry (CoI) was subsequently formed to probe the matter. On Tuesday, the Justice Aruna Jagadeesan panel presented the report before the assembly and said that the firing was “unprovoked police excess” and recommended action against 17 policemen, one IAS officer, and three revenue officials.
“The totality of the facts and circumstances would not suggest that the police had been acting in exercise of the right of private defence. As a matter of fact it is not even the version of police,” the report said.
The report contended that there was an “instance of lethargy and indifference” from then chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) since he didn’t act on information conveyed to him by then Intelligence officer K N Sathiyamurthy.
Addressing the assembly on Wednesday, CM Stalin said an inspector and three policemen indicted in the report have already been suspended and disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against former officers - Inspector General (South) Shailesh Kumar Yadav, Deputy Inspector General of Tirunelveli C Kapil Kumar, and Superintendent of Police of Thoothukudi P Mahendran
“The disciplinary proceedings against the police officers, district Collector, and revenue officials will be expedited and brought to a logical conclusion soon…I would like to reiterate a promise that was made before coming to power. Whoever is guilty, they will be brought to book,” he said, replying to a motion moved in the assembly.
He added that the state public department has launched a departmental inquiry against the then Thoothukudi Collector N Venkatesh, whom the commission had blamed for “abdicating his responsibility”.
Accusing the previous AIADMK government of failing to control a peaceful protest, Stalin also announced an additional ₹5 lakh as compensation to the families of each of the victim – ₹20 lakh was provided by the then AIADMK regime.
Stalin said that the Commission’s report–which was constituted by the then CM EPS a day after the shooting– has busted his lies that he learnt about the Thoothukudi firing through television channels.
“His lies have now been exposed by a Commission that was set up by his own government. The Commission says the then Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan, DGP T K Rajendran, and IG (Intelligence) Sathyamurthy briefed him from time to time about the police firing. He could have called the findings politically motivated if the panel was constituted by us,” Stalin said.
“The police firing is certainly a black spot on Tamil Nadu and no one can forget the shootings ever in their lives,” he said, and appealed to the police department to be humane and bear in mind that they are meant to serve the people.
“Stalin is using OPS to target us. Yesterday after the assembly, OPS and Stalin were speaking for half an hour,” said AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS), adding that the DMK government was using several tactics to deviate peoples attention from their failure.
