Anti-Sterlite protest: Retd Judge to head inquiry committee on police firing

Retired Judge Aruna Jagadeesan will lead the inquiry committee set up by the Tamil Nadu government to probe the law and order situation and circumstances under which 11 people died in a police firing in Tuticorin.

Appointing retired Judge Aruna Jagadeesan for the task, the government said she would submit her report to the government. However, the time-frame for submitting the report has not been specified.

The inquiry will cover the "law and order incidents following the siege of the District Collectorate by thousands of persons violating prohibitory orders," an official release here said.

Soon after the firing incident, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palanisamy ordered a single judge inquiry commission, to be headed by a retired high court judge, to probe the violence and resultant death of nine people due to police firing at Tuticorin.

He also announced payment of Rs 10 lakh compensation to the kin of those killed in the police firing. While those seriously injured will get Rs 3 lakh, people with minor injuries will get Rs one lakh as compensation. The chief minister also promised government jobs to one member of each family of those killed in the police firing on compassionate basis.

Meanwhile, the Centre today asked the Tamil Nadu government to provide details of the incident at Tuticorin where nine people were killed in police firing during protest demanding the closure of Vedanta group's Sterlite Copper plant over pollution concerns, officials said.

Union Home Ministry officials said the ministry is in touch with the state government over the developments in the port town in the southern state. The home ministry has asked the state government to provide details of the incident at Tuticorin, an official said.

Nine people were killed in police firing yesterday after protests for the closure of Sterlite Copper plant over pollution concerns turned violent.

The protests were going on in Tuticorin for over three months, but violence erupted on Tuesday with agitators fighting pitched battles with police, prompting it to open fire.