Acting on a batch of petitions related to the police firing, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on August 14 asked the CBI to probe the incident.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against the police, Revenue Department officials and others on charges of “robbery, dacoity, falsification of evidence and disobeying law” in connection with anti-Sterlite protests and the subsequent firing that left 13 people dead in Thoothukudi in May.

Also Read The Thoothukudi fables

On the basis of a complaint lodged by K.S. Arjunan, district secretary of the CPI(M), Thoothukudi, the CBI’s Special Crime Branch booked “unknown persons” and public servants under Sections 166 (public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person), 167 (public servant framing an incorrect document with intent to cause injury), 392 (robbery), 395 (dacoity), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 120(b) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

The CBI said in the First Information Report that Mr. Arjunan’s complaint mentioned the prima facie commission of offences punishable on charges of criminal conspiracy, robbery, dacoity and criminal intimidation.

The agency added that most of the allegations levelled by the complainant were already under investigation by it under its earlier FIR relating to the police firing on anti-Sterlite protesters on May 22-23, 2018.

However, in that First Information Report, the CBI had cited members belonging to about 20 organisations as accused .

CBI had stated that the case was registered on the directions of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.

On August 14, the court, while ordering the transfer of the case from the SIPCOT police station, Thoothukudi, to the central agency said that the CBI should register cases on the complaints received against officials/police in respect of incidents at Thoothukudi on May 22 and investigate.

“It will be the duty of the CBI to get to the bottom of things...” the court said.

PTI adds...

The Police opened fire on protesters on the 100th day of protests as locals allegedly turned violent demanding the closure of the Sterlite copper plant, a unit of the Vedanta group, over purported pollution concerns.

The 13 deaths drew widespread condemnation by Opposition political parties, led by the DMK.

Relief for victims

The petitions, which sought relief for the victims, registration of murder case against police officers for allegedly deploying snipers, a probe by a High Court judge and the CBI, were heard by a Division Bench of Justices C.T. Selvam and Basheer Ahmed.

“It can hardly be expected that any investigation, either into the wrongdoings of the protesters or of the police or administration, would inspire confidence if entrusted to agencies of this State,” the Bench had said.

It further said the State government was liable to answer certain questions on the firing as it noted that the absence of the District Collector was rather unusual in the face of definite input of anti-social elements infiltrating the 100th day of protest, which prompted the promulgation of ban orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in the area.

Also, the Bench had noted that police firing was ordered by an official who was not a jurisdictional executive magistrate and admittedly on his assuming powers which he did not possess.

“Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion and not only must justice be done it must also be seen to be done,” it had said.