Aruna Jegadeesan
Aruna Jegadeesan

No criminal action on cops in Sterlite case, shows G.O.

The panel concluded that police had exceeded their limit and that there are procedural commissions and omissions.

THOOTHUKUDI: Though the Justice Aruna Jegadeesan committee, appointed to probe the 2018 police firing on civilians protesting against industrial pollution and Sterlite plant in Thoothukudi, had recommended departmental and criminal action against 17 police officials involved in the firing on May 22 and 23, 2018, the state may have decided to restrict it to just departmental action, shows a Government Order accessed by TNIE.

“The state ... accepted the recommendations ... restricting to initiation of departmental action against officers and restricting to the compensation/ financial assistance already awarded ... ,” the G.O. said. While the Thoothukudi district administration had issued notices to three tahsildhars under section 17 B of the Tamil Nadu government servant’s conduct rules for allegedly issuing the firing orders, no action seems to have been taken against the police personnel involved, sources said.

The G.O. issued on October 17, 2022, a day before the retired judge’s report was tabled in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, deals with recommendations made by the committee under four terms of references and the state’s actions on them. According to the G.O., the state cabinet, which discussed the findings of the commission on August 29, took note that the recommendation for departmental action against the officials indicted by the panel is under the consideration of various departments.

As per the G.O., the state had fully accepted the recommendations of the commission of inquiry in respect of terms of references 1 and 2, which deal with findings related to the causes and circumstances that led to the firing. The panel concluded that police had exceeded their limit and that there are procedural commissions and omissions. With regard to the third term of reference, the commission had concluded that there were excesses on the part of police.

TN in principle accepts panel’s 4th recommendation

The panel recommended departmental action against 17 police officials without prejudice to criminal action, and departmental action against the then collector, and three other revenue officials. It recommended Rs 50 lakh compensation to the kin/legal heirs of the deceased after deducting Rs 20 lakh already paid, and Rs 10 lakh each to the injured after deducting Rs 5 lakh already paid, and to provide compensation to the family of Justin Selva Mithish, who died of injuries five months after the firing, on a par with the relief paid to the kin of the deceased.

As per the G.O, the state accepted the recommendations with respect to third term of reference only to the extent of action against the officers, restricting the compensation. The government accepted in principle recommendations with respect to the fourth ToR, which deals with steps to be taken to avoid such incidents, and decided to examine in detail the specific recommendations, the G.O said.

It may be noted the state had on May 31, 2018, announced Rs 20 lakh for the kin of the 13 deceased, Rs 5 lakh to 40 persons who were grievously injured and Rs 1.5 lakh each for 64 persons who sustained minor injuries during the anti-Sterlite agitation on May 22 and 23.

The coordination committee members met MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Tuesday, about the G.O. The MP asked them to submit a plea to her seeking implementation of recommendations. She will bring it to the CM’s notice, said advocate Hari Ragavan, a panel member.

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