CHENNAI: Disciplinary action and charges framed against the then Thoothukudi Collector N Venkatesh in respect to the 2018 Thoothukudi police shootout, Advocate General R Shunmugasundaram submitted before the Madras High Court (MHC).
Justice J Nisha Banu expressed a good opinion on Shailesh Kumar Yadav, the then Inspector General (IG) of the south zone, who was also named in the Aruna Jagadeesan commission report. The judge observed "I'm now prejudiced of the officials named in the commission report", Shailesh Kumar Yadav is the officer who brought peace to the MHC Madurai bench during turmoil and kept peace to continue the court to function, observed the judge.
Further, the judge directed the State to submit the allegations against each of the 17 officials named in the commission's report and the court also questioned the action taken against the officials.
The Advocate General submitted the annexure with details containing the actions initiated against the 21 officials regarding the Thoothukudi police firing. The annexure further detailed that disciplinary action has been initiated and charges framed against the then Thoothukudi district collector N Venkatesh. Since he denied the lapses another IAS officer Dheeraj Kumar has been appointed as an inquiring authority to inquire about the disciplinary action. Further explanation has been sought and received from the then south zone IG Shailesh Kumar Yadav. The annexure also stated that action had been initiated against 21 officials.
The petitioner, Henri Tiphagne, a human rights activist objected to the submission and contended that after several since the firing happened, no action had been taken against the officials.
After the submission, the court adjourned the matter to December 11 for further hearing.
Henri Tiphagne filed a petition against an order passed by the NHRC on October 25, 2018, closing the suo motu proceedings initiated by it with regard to the Thoothukudi police firing, in which 13 anti-Sterlite protesters were shot dead. The activist sought to re-investigate the high profile shoot out case on the basis of his complaint alleging police excess.