Not following SOP is rights violation: NHRC

The NHRC took suo motu cognisance of media reports about the incident that left 12 dead in firing when the three-month-old agitation turned violent in Thoothukudi on its 100th day on Tuesday.

The Commission has issued notices to the state and called for detailed reports on the matter, along with the status of the treatment being provided to those injured in police firing. Reportedly, the protesters attacked the Collectorate building and the police personnel posted there, leaving a few cops injured and some vehicles torched. 

Thereafter, the police retaliated with firing. The fleeing protesters were reportedly chased down and beaten up by the police, a release from the NHRC said.

The Commission added in that statement that it expected the investigation to be conducted as per guidelines laid down in its letter dated May 12, 2010, addressed by the NHRC chairperson to the chief ministers of all States.

The Commission noted that the authorities probably failed to foresee the violence, and added that keeping in view the simmering situation, effective precautionary measures and deployment of adequate number of police personnel could have possibly averted the incident. The rights panel said it appeared that the police resorted to firing on unarmed protesters without following the Standard Operating Procedure, which is tantamount to serious violation of human rights and thus a matter of concern.

Thousands of protesters had gathered demanding closure of Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper plant on the 100th day of the agitation at Kumarattiyapuram village on the outskirts of Thoothukudi. The district administration had granted permission only for staging a protest at the SAV School ground which was turned down by the protesters. Following this, the District Collector imposed regulatory orders under sections of 144 CrPC.