Madras High Court halts Sterlite plant's expansion, 1 more dies

The Madras High Court stayed the expansion of Sterlite's copper smelter plant in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district, as one more protester was killed and several others were injured in continuing violence on Wednesday. The order came on a petition filed by an environmental activist.

Eleven people had been killed in police firing on Tuesday when they protested for a permanent closure of the exiting plant over pollution concerns in the coastal city. The Madurai Bench of the court also said on Wednesday that bodies of all those killed will be preserved till further orders.

Angry over Tuesday's killings, protesters took to the streets and threw stones, resulting in police firing at Anna Nagar, in which the 12th person died. State Home Secretary ordered that Internet services in three districts -- Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari -- be shut from May 23 to May 27 to stop sparks from flying.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) asked the state Chief Secretary (CS) and the Director Geneal of Police (DGP) to submit a report within two weeks. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also asked the Tamil Nadu government to furnish details on the violence that escalated Opposition calls for Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami's resignation. The state government announced a commission headed by a retired High Court judge to probe the violence.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba also spoke to TN's CS, and Central Forces have been kept on standby for any eventuality.

Actor-politicians Kamal Hassan and Rajinikanth also spoke against the state government. Hassan was booked for violating Section 144 of the IPC by visiting Thoothukudi's general hospital where the injured are being treated.
Forces were deployed after a bus was set ablaze outside the hospital by protesters.

Locals and environmentalists have been protesting for more than three months against the copper plant, one of India's biggest, alleging that it is a major source of pollution and a risk to fisheries in the area located at the tip of the Indian subcontinent.

On Tuesday, protesters waving black flags stormed the district collectorate and set vehicles on fire and threw stones at police.

The plant can produce 400,000 tonnes of copper a year. It has been shut for more than 50 days and will remain closed until at least June 6 after a local pollution regulator's order that said it is not complying with environmental rules.