All deaths must be treated as murders at the FIR stage in line with the prevalent law and investigation must proceed on these lines until evidence points otherwise, says D Hariparanthaman
The 'Coordinating Committee for People's Inquest into Thoothukudi Police Firing' — a coalition of civil society groups and individuals — on Sunday, called for criminal investigation into the May 22 Thoothukudi police firing and violence, which resulted in the death of 14 anti-Sterlite protesters, citing violation of standard operating procedures, a total breakdown of civilian authority and possible malafide intent and murder.
Releasing the report titled 'The Day Tuticorin Burned' here on Sunday, retired Madras High Court judge D Hariparanthaman, who was part of the 23-member Inquest team, said police repression in Thoothukudi is continuing to this day, with the police intimidating van drivers and local people from coming to Chennai to participate in the release of the Inquest report.
He appealed for a return to normalcy and an immediate end to the intimidation and arbitrary arrests of random people under 'open' FIRs filed against numerous unnamed people. "All deaths must be treated as murders at the FIR stage in line with the prevalent law and investigation must proceed on these lines until evidence points otherwise," he said.
The five-volume report, which is based on testimonies, eyewitness accounts, documents and records, highlights the police failure to follow the standard operating procedure to disperse crowds, use of excessive force in many places to provoke and presence of snipers indicating planned attempt to target and kill protesters. The report terms the absence of the collector at the office as dereliction of duty and ceding all civilian authority and power to the police thereby contributing to the violence and deaths that occurred on May 22.
Henri Tiphagne of People's Watch who was instrumental in bringing out the report said that Thoothukudi district administration refused to share a copy of the section 144 order imposed on May 21 with them. "We moved Madras High Court to get a copy of the order on July 4. But the Sterlite had included a copy the order in the petition it filed before the NGT on July 2 itself," he alleged. He said that he could not get the people's inquest report printed in the press in Sivaganga district as the collector ordered the owner not to print any Sterlite-related materials.
Kavitha Muralidharan, a senior journalist said that women of Thoothukudi continued to live in fear of the police knocking at the door in the night to arrest men in connection with the protest. "At Madathur village, women were staying at the temple in the night as the men stay away from the home fearing arrest," she said. R Geetha, writer and advocate, Madras High Court said that several injured people did not seek medical aid fearing cases would be booked against them. Jasaiah Joseph of National Fishworkers Forum said that people were doubting whether the state government is trying to help the Sterlite management to reopen the company after the police started spreading the news of anti-social elements instigating the protest.
A LAW AND ORDER ISSUE
- Releasing the report titled ‘The Day Tuticorin Burned’, retired Madras High Court judge D Hariparanthaman, said, police repression in Thoothukudi is continuing to this day, with cops intimidating van drivers and local people from coming to Chennai to participate in the release of the Inquest report.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "The Day Tuticorin Burned")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}