Make Aruna Jagadeesan panel report public, demand victims’ kin, activists

CHENNAI: Family members of the 13 persons, who died in Thoothukudi police firing and social activists while welcoming the recommendations of the Aruna Jagadeesan Commission report urged the state to make the report public and to take action on policemen and officials responsible for the firing.

“The police firing was a planned attack on the protesters as policemen brought snipers to shoot at the protesters. Many of the protesters were shot at the back and the Aruna Jagadeesan Commission also had mentioned the same. The entire report should be made public by the state government and stringent action should be taken on the officials involved and responsible for the firing,” Stephen, brother of Gladstone, one of the 13 victims, told DT Next.

A part of Aruna Jagadeesan Commission report was leaked in the media in which the committee had named 17 officials, including Thoothukudi Collector, SP, Tirunelveli DIG and policemen for the incident and recommended action on all 17 officials.

Though, the committee had submitted its report on May 18, the report has not been made public yet.

Stephen urged the state to remove Sterlite copper permanently from Thoothukudi and said that the case which is currently investigated by CBI has blamed only the protesters and not the policemen.

“A court monitored investigation should be carried out,” demanded Stephen, who also urged the state to construct a memorial for all 13 persons who had lost their lives in the police firing.

Advocate Vanjinathan, representing anti-Sterlite People’s Association, urged the state to release the complete report of the commission, to file murder cases against 17 policemen named in the report, to cancel the chargesheet filed by CBI and to transfer the case to CB-CID.

The committee report contradicts with the view of local BJP functionaries and the actor Rajinikanth who had branded the protesters as the instigators of violence. The truth is that justice is still awaited for those who were killed in the police firing, noted Vanjinathan.

It may be noted that the infamous Thoothukudi firing also created an uproar in the Assembly with the then ruling AIADMK and opposition DMK exchanging heated arguments on the floor of the House.