CBI takes over probe into police firing during anti-Sterlite protest

The CBI has taken over the probe into the police firing in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu on May 22 and 23 during the anti-Sterlite protests that claimed 13 lives, officials said Monday.

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

In its report, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has included a local police FIR filed on the complaint of P Sekar, Deputy Tehsildar who had allegedly ordered the firing.

The police action came on the 100th day of protests as locals turned violent demanding the closure of Sterlite copper plant, a unit of Vedanta group over purported pollution concerns.

The 13 deaths drew widespread condemnation by opposition political parties, led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the state.

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 wrong doings of the protesters or of the police or administration would inspire confidence if entrusted to agencies of this state," the bench had said.

"Caesar's wife must be above suspicion and not only must justice be done it must also be seen to be done," it had added.

The bench had further said that the state government was liable to answer certain questions over 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 protest, which prompted promulgation of ban orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in the area.

Also, the bench had said 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.

The bench had also quashed the detention of six members of Makkal Adhikaram under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) for allegedly instigating violence.