THOOTHUKUDI: The CPM on Thursday demanded criminal action against the police and the top revenue officials responsible for the firing that claimed the lives of 15 civilians during the anti-Sterlite agitation in 2018. It alleged the TVK government is trying to protect the cops and officers facing grave charges including murder.
At a demonstration held at the Chidambaranagar bus stop, the party cadre highlighted the inaction of the previous governments of the AIADMK and the DMK, despite the state-appointed Aruna Jegadeesan committee indicting 17 policemen and four top revenue officials including the former district collector.
CPM polit bureau member K Balakrishnan told the press that the TVK government had told the court in a recent hearing in the case to drop action against the top revenue and police indicted by the committee.
“It is really shocking. The TVK government is protecting the culprits,” he said adding the state government must register criminal action against the indicted officers be it an IAS or IPS.
“When the police could attack and kill the innocent people in their custody in the name of investigation, how come the state government does not even register a case against the policemen involved in murder even after a commission recommended for criminal action? Balakrishnan questioned.
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay might have met the victims and consoled them back in 2018, but the inaction of the state government under his leadership against the indicted officers can not be accepted, Balakrishnan said.
The cadres raised slogans condemning the police firing and demanded justice for the victims based on the investigation conducted by the commission CPM district secretary KP Arumugam led the demonstration.