Tenure of commission inquiring Thoothukudi police firing extended
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The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday extended the tenure of the Commission of Inquiry probing the Thoothukudi police firing till February 2022. The police had opened fire on those protesting against the Vedanta Sterlite factory on May 21 and 22 in 2018. 13 people lost their lives and left several others injured.
The Commission led by Justice Aruna Jagadeeshan was to complete its tenure on August 22, 2021. Though the Commission requested an extension of a year, the government extended it by six months alone. The Government Order released clarified that there would be no further extension, and the probe must be completed in the given time frame. A report must be submitted in both English and Tamil before the prescribed date.
The Commission of Inquiry submitted its interim report in May 2021 and presented it to Stalin. It recommended the withdrawal of 244 cases against 400 youths and compensation to victims of police torture. The Commission was constituted by the AIADMK government in 2018.
The firing created a massive political issue between the DMK and AIADMK. The DMK slammed AIADMK, saying its anti-people and pro-corporate-friendly attitude was responsible for the firing. MK Stalin and Kanimozhi slammed the police brutality as "Mass murder" by the police.