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Special Deputy tahsildar ordered Thoothukudi firing, reveal FIRs
The direction to open fire at protesters, who were demanding the closure of the Sterlite Copper plant because of rising levels of pollution at Thoothukudi, came from a revenue officer in the rank of ‘deputy tahsildar’, according to at least two FIRs registered at the Thoothukudi North police station and SIPCOT police station on May 22.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
Interestingly, a deputy tahsildar is the last officer in the hierarchy who has the judicial power to order police to open fire.
The FIRs named Kannan M, zonal deputy tahsildar of Thoothukudi, as the complainant at the Thoothukudi North station and Sekhar, special deputy tahsildar at the SIPCOT station, who had taken responsibility for ordering police to open fire in which 13 people were killed. The FIRs said the officials followed protocol before making the decision to open fire at people from 20-plus outfits.
The FIR registered in the SIPCOT station in Thoothukudi said that almost 10,000 people, armed with weapons, tried to storm the office complex of the district Collectorate breaking the police cordon on May 22.
The mob damaged vehicles and property in the Collector’s office and tried to enter the complex after assaulting police. The whole episode had created a scare in the minds of people visiting the Collector’s office as well as those working there.
Told police to fire when mob failed to disperse: Special deputy tahsildar
“Despite public announcement, firing tear gas shells and opening fire in the air, the violent mob was not ready to disperse and that is when I ordered police firing,” said Sekhar, special deputy tahsildar. Four people were killed in the shooting in the Collector’s office, the FIR said.
The other FIR registered in the Thoothukudi North police station talked about the incidents in Gracepuram where one woman was killed in the police firing. The FIR based on the complaint by deputy tahsildar Kannan said that despite strict warning, tear gas shots and rubber bullet firing the agitating mob tried to enter the police quarters, when he ordered police to open fire.
Both the FIRs quoted nine IPC sections for rioting with deadly weapons, disobedience to public servant and assault on public servant, causing hurt with dangerous weapons and wrongful confinement besides the Public Property Act and Explosive Substance Act and CrPC 174 (unnatural death).
Police sources had earlier hinted that DIG Kapil Kumar Saratkar orally issued the order to open fire as he was assessing the situation from close quarters.
The protests that were going on for the last three months turned violent on the 100th day on May 22 when agitators allegedly hurled stones at police forces, prompting them to open fire.
Case goes to CB-CID
All the four FIRs registered by the police in connection with the violence and police firing have been transferred to the CB-CID for further investigation, sources said on Monday.
The Thoothukudi police had registered four FIRs in different police stations in connection with the deaths of the 13 people in police firing based on complaints from deputy tahsildars, who had owned up responsibility of ordering police to fire to disperse the violent mob.
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