Madras HC directs CBI to file final report of Sterlite firing at Thoothukudi

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file the final report of the investigation conducted regarding the Sterlite firing at Thoothukudi.

A division bench comprising Justice SS Sundar and Justice N Senthilkumar heard the petition moved by human rights activist Henri Tiphagne against the premature closure of Sterlite firing investigation, in which 13 Anti-Serlite protestors were shot dead by police.

Additional Advocate General (AAG) J Ravindran submitted that the petitioner expanding the scope of his plea.

Henri Tiphagne submitted that despite the Court's direction, the State has not served him the status of the disciplinary proceedings initiated against the erring officials named in retired Justice Aruna Jagadeesan's committee report.

The petitioner further submitted that the CBI has not done the inquiry properly. It was also submitted that some of the impleaded officials has not filed the counter to the petition despite the Court directed the Director General of Police to issue notice to all the named officials.

Objecting the submission the CBI contended that the investigation has done the inquiry and submitted the final report on time.

After all the submission the bench observed that if the officials are not filing the counter, warrant will be issued against them and directed the CBI to file the copy of the final report, the matter was posted on July 1 for further submission.

Henri Tiphagne, a human rights activist filed a petition against an order passed by the NHRC on October 25, 2018, closing the suo motu proceedings initiated by it with regard to the Thoothukudi police firing, in which 13 anti-Sterlite protesters were shot and killed. The activist sought to re-investigate the case on the basis of his complaint.