Thoothukudi firing: ADGP appears before Aruna Jagadeesan panel

The Commission is probing the police firing, which occurred on May 22 in 2018 when people in large numbers were marching towards the Collectorate in Thoothukudi in protest against Sterlite Copper plant.

The Commission inquired the ADGP, who’s summoned as one of the key witnesses, for a long time until 6 pm, on Tuesday. Earlier, the ADGP reached the inquiry office at around 10.30 am. Yadav, who presided over security in Thoothukudi when the fateful incident occurred, was the former Inspector General of Police in the South Zone of Tamil Nadu, sources said.

The firing claimed the lives of 13 people and left several others, who took part in the rally, injured.

During the 35th sitting of the inquiry panel, which began on Monday, former Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tirunelveli Range, Kapil Kumar Saratkar appeared before it. As many as 1,037 witnesses have been inquired so far and their statements were recorded after summons were issued to 1,417 witnesses. Besides, 1,483 documents concerning the incident have been cataloged. Six witnesses, including high ranking officials, were already summoned to cooperate with the panel, sources said.

The Commission’s advocate Arul Vadivel Sekar said in the ongoing phase of inquiry, which lasts until January 29, former Thoothukudi Superintendent of Police P Mahendran, who’s in charge during the rally, would appear on Thursday.