It may take 6 months to finish inquiry: Jallikattu probe panel

After completing his 3-day inquiry with 15 persons in Coimbatore on Friday, he said, it could take six to seven months more to complete the exercise. “It is a time consuming one and we are able to examine only five persons a day,” he explained.

He said they have conducted inquiries at Chennai and Coimbatore, wherein they had summoned 145 persons to appear before them. “So far, only 75 persons have appeared for the inquiry. Some of them testified in support of the police and most of them against them,” he said.

At this juncture he observed that of the 70 persons who could not make it for the inquiry some have asked permission from the commission to appear on a later date as they were not in town when the inquiry was conducted. “We are not rigid. So we have given them a later date,” he said.

Of the 51 persons who have given written statements in Coimbatore, 22 were victims of lathi charge and their witnesses and 22 supported the police. According to Rajeswaran, inquiry with the affected persons is time consuming as they had to first give a detailed account of the incident, then be cross examined by the lawyer appearing for the police before they are re-examined. The inquiry includes examining photographs and video clippings produced by the public in the project at the place of inquiry.

About the first phase inquiry with the public from Wednesday, he said that they summoned 20 persons of whom 15 including representatives of AIDWA and SFI appeared over the three days. While four of them were absent one person had sought time to appear before the commission at Chennai next month as his parents were unwell.

Three of them also gave CDs with video recordings of the attacks by the police. “The remaining 31 persons will be summoned for inquiry in October or November,” he said. On videos showing police personnel torching autorickshaws and huts at Chennai, he said that the persons concerned will be asked to appear for inquiry, failing which their higher-ups will be summoned to identify those personnel and cooperate with the inquiry commission.

“Of the 1,949 persons 436 persons are police officers and personnel across ranks. They will be questioned only after all the public are inquired, but for specific cases where the public affected in the incident specifically made a mention of the police personnel or officer who attacked him as this requires examining the police concerned,” he said.

In all those who submitted the affidavits included 996 from Madurai, 886 from Chennai, 51 from Coimbatore, nine from Salem, six each from Krishnagiri and Salem and one each from Vellore and Villupuram. But for the last two districts the committee will travel to the respective districts to inquire the summoned persons. The duo from Vellore and Villupuram will be asked to come to Chennai for inquiry.