CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn 38 cases, except those filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation, against 12 political leaders in connection with the anti-Sterlite protests in Thoothkudi in May 2018.
Chief Minister MK Stalin has ordered that the cases against the political leaders be withdrawn based on the recommendations in the Justice Aruna Jegadeesan’s commission’s interim report, according to a government release.
Thirteen people had died in police firing as protesters marched to the Thoothkudi collectorate demanding that the Sterlite copper smelter controlled by Vedanta Resources, which was allegedly polluting the environment, be shut.
The cases were filed against R Nallakkanu of CPI, Vaiko of MDMK, K Balakrishnan of CPM, TTV Dhinakaran of AMMK, Premalatha Vijayakant of DMDK, LK Sudhish of DMDK, Minister for Fisheries Anitha R Radhakrishnan of DMK, Azhagu Muthupandian of CPI, Raja of CPM, Henri Thomas of AMMK, Poomayil of DWFI and others.
It may be recalled that Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, who headed the commission which inquired into the Sterlite police firing case, submitted its interim report on May 14 to Chief Minister MK Stalin. After he went through the interim report, the Chief Minister ordered the withdrawal of the cases registered against political leaders.