Sterlite case: Madras HC wonders how lone cop acted sans orders

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday directed the State government to file its response on whether it proposes to pay the remaining Rs 20 lakh compensation to the families of the 14 protesters killed in the 2018 Thoothukudi Sterlite police firing and on the action taken on the recommendations of the Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission.

The direction was issued by a Division Bench of Justices K Karthikeyan and S Sakthivel while hearing a batch of petitions, including Kathiresan from Madurai, which sought a direction to register criminal cases against those allegedly responsible for the police firing on protesters demanding the permanent closure of the Sterlite Copper plant. The unit was alleged to have illegally dumped immense quantities of hazardous copper slag and gypsum at multiple unauthorised open-air sites, which obstructed natural waterways and caused local flooding. The petitioner alleged that plainclothes marksmen were deployed in violation of established police procedures and that protesters were shot at vital parts of their bodies.

Appearing for the petitioner, counsel submitted that only one police inspector had been named in the charge sheet and that a protest petition challenging the investigation was still pending. The counsel further submitted that although the Aruna Jagadeesan Commission had recommended payment of Rs 50 lakh as compensation to each bereaved family, only Rs 30 lakh had been paid. The criminal trial was also progressing at a slow pace, the counsel said.

During the hearing, the Bench wondered whether a single police inspector could, on his own and without any orders, have taken a firearm and shot 16 persons. The judges also questioned the delay in the CBI investigation and the progress of the trial.

The Bench directed the State government to file a response detailing the action taken on the recommendations of the Aruna Jagadeesan Commission, the departmental action initiated against the police and revenue officials allegedly involved in the incident, and whether the government proposed to form a committee to implement the recommendations of the commission.