THOOTHUKUDI: The One Man Commission, probing into the Thoothukudi police firing case, is likely to summon actor-turned politician Rajinikanth for an inquiry in connection with his remarks about the incident that happened in May 2018.
The Commission, headed by Justice Aruna Jegadeesan, camps at Thoothukudi every month to question witnesses who had filed affidavits and those directly related to the incident. For the 23rd phase of the inquiry that began on Monday, the Commission summoned 49 persons, including fire and rescue personnel and those belonging to the family members of the policemen staying in the police quarters at Third Mile and Beach Road. As many as 42 among them were questioned so far, and the inquiry will continue till Friday.
The panel’s advocate Arul Vadivel Sekar told media persons that the Commission had so far quizzed 586 witnesses, and 775 documents related to the police firing incident had been recorded. The doctors who treated the persons, who suffered bullet injuries, are scheduled to be quizzed in the next phase. “However, 500 more persons have to be questioned in with the police firing against anti-Sterlite protesters that claimed at least 13 lives,” he said, adding that the former collector and police officers involved in the incident will be summoned last.
The advocate also revealed that actor Rajinikanth is more likely to be summoned again in the next phase of inquiry in January. “Since the actor has started participating in film shootings, there is a possibility to summon him in January,” he said. Rajinikanth who is set to plunge into electoral politics ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections had, earlier in February, sought exemption from appearing before the Commission citing possible law and order problems in Thoothukudi during his arrival.