Who ordered police firing on Sterlite protesters? FIRs reveal startling truth

After maintaining a stoic silence over the question of who ordered the police firing on anti-Sterlite protestors that led to the killing of 13 people, the First Information Reports filed in Thoothukudi North and SIPCOT police stations revealed that two “deputy tahsildars” level officers ordered the firing at the Collectorate and Threspuram on May 22. 

Of the 13 people killed in the firing, 11 were killed in the firing at the Collectorate and its surroundings and one woman at Threspuram on last Tuesday while one man was killed at Anna Nagar on May 23. 

Sekar, Special Deputy Tahsildar (Election) of Thoothukudi, in his complaint, said that he ordered the police to fire at the protestors to save lives and properties at the Collectorate. He said that more than 10,000 people were marching towards the collector’s office with deadly weapons and police tried to disperse them by using tear gas and lathicharge. 

He named groups including Makkal Adhikaram and Naam Tamilar Katchi for instigating the people to protest on May 22. He said that they entered the Collectorate raising slogans to torch the office along with the employees for not closing down the Sterlite plant. 

Despite all the warnings, he said that the protestors indulged in the violence and the police, after the several warnings, fired in the air first and then at protestors to save the lives of government workers at the collectorate. 

He further alleged that when the injured in the firing was taken out in the ambulance, the protestors attacked the vehicles and beaten up the driver too. The police had to resort to firing again near the arch at the entrance of the collectorate to secure the injured, the FIR said, adding that as the protestor entered the Sterlite workers quarters adjacent to the collector's office and set the building on fire, the police without no other option opened fire again. 

For the firing at Threspuram, M Kannan, Zonal Deputy Tahsildar, Thoothukudi, in his complaint, said 500 people including 100 women gathered with deadly weapons and petrol bombs attacked the police to enter the police quarters on Threspuram Main Road. 

As the protestors continued to attack even after the firing of tear gas and rubber bullets, he said that he ordered Thoothukudi North police inspector to open fire. 

“Protestors did not disperse even after the police fired at the air thrice. When the police fired at the protestors, one woman was injured and she was rushed to the government hospital where she was declared brought dead,” he said. 

CPI (M) state secretary K Balakrishnan wondered why did deputy Tahsildar level officer has to order the firing when the Collector and other higher officials are there. He said that the FIR filed based on the deputy Tahsildars complaints raises several questions including whether they have the power to order fire.