CHENNAI: As Tamil Nadu's southern districts continued to be gripped by caste tension , the state government on Monday announced that an inquiry commission headed by a retired high court judge would be constituted to probe the firing incident in Ramanathapuram district in which six persons were killed.

Replying to the demand of the opposition for an enquiry, chief minister J Jayalalithaa initially said she would order a probe by the revenue divisional officer at the district level, but after the opposition parties, including the CPI, CPM and Pudhiya Tamizhagam insisted on a detail inquiry by a retired judge, she accepted the demand.

Jayalithaa said a peace committee, which was inactive under the previous DMK regime, will be revived in caste sensitive villages, besides her government taking other precautionary measures to prevent communal violence.

Earlier, opposition parties including left and pro-dalit outfit Pudhiya Tamizhagam slammed the police action and said that the men in uniform should exercise restraint.