The officials, who are yet to be identified, have been booked for criminal conspiracy and disobeying law with intent to cause injury to any person, among other sections of the IPC.
Five months after 13 people were killed in police firing during the anti-Sterlite protest in Thoothukudi, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against unknown persons and officials of the police and revenue departments.
The officials, who are yet to be identified, have been booked for criminal conspiracy and disobeying law with intent to cause injury to any person, among other sections of the IPC. The number of officials booked is not known yet.
The Madras High Court had transferred to the CBI a batch of writ petitions seeking a probe into circumstances which had led to the firing. Police officers, on May 22, had opened fire at protesters who picketed the office of Thoothukudi district collector seeking permanent closure of the Sterlite Copper Smelting plant.
The Director General of Police had claimed that police had resorted to firing to prevent the protesters from harming government officials in the collectorate, but visuals telecast by Tamil TV channels showed policemen in plain clothes taking aim from top of a police van and firing at protesters. While the visuals enraged activists and the public, the audio heard in the background was even more chilling. With a cop standing on top of a van, a voice in the background was heard saying, "At least one should die."
The case has been registered against unidentified officials on the basis of a complaint from K Arjunan, Thoothukudi district secretary, CPI(M).
The agency had covered most of the issues raised in Arjunan's complaint in its FIR dated October 8, officials said. "Perusal of written complaint dated May 29, 2018 discloses prima facie commission of offence...by unknown persons and public servants from police and revenue department," the FIR said.
Advocate Shaji Chellam who represented Arjunan in the Madras High Court told DNA that in the complaint filed by Arjunan, they had mentioned the names of the police officers and government officials and charges against them specifically. "Though the names of the officials were not mentioned in the CBI's FIR, it mentions that the complaint the attachment of the complaint attached herewith which means it is part of the FIR," he said.
The Madras High Court, in its order appointing the CBI as the investigator of the case on August 14, said it would be the duty of the CBI to "get to the bottom of things" and file charge sheets through the investigation. The court also mandated the CBI to complete the investigation within four months.
Court Order
- The Madras High Court, in its order appointing the CBI as the investigator of the case on August 14, said it would be the duty of the CBI to “get to the bottom of things” and file charge sheets.
- It also mandated the CBI to complete the investigation within four months.
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