TUTICORIN: Police personnel and officers who fired at the anti-Sterlite protesters on May 22, 2018, were quizzed in the 32nd sitting of the one member retired Justice Aruna Jagadeesan commission of enquiry that is probing the police firing on the 100th day anti-Sterlite protest which left 15 persons dead. A total of 41 police personnel and officers were summoned for the 32nd sitting of inquiry that was held from November 16 to 25.
"Forty of them deposed before the commission till the sitting concluded on Thursday” Arul Vadivel, the counsel of the commission told TOI. Those quizzed in this sitting include 16 police personnel in the ranks of constable and head constable and two sub inspectors who fired at the protesters. About an equal number of them were the police personnel who had used tear gas guns and tear balls against the protesters.
Others who were quizzed in the sitting were two then inspectors and two deputy superintendents of police who were the jurisdiction officers of the SIPCOT and Tuticorin North Police Station where the police firing and riots took place on May 22 and 23, 2018. So far the commission has summoned 1,393 witnesses of which 1,016 have deposed before the commission. A total of 1,342 documents have been marked so far.
Officers in the rank of deputy superintendents of police and superintendents of police who were on duty in Tuticorin when the firing and riots took place will be summoned for appearing before the commission in the 33rd sitting that is slated from December 13 and is likely to be held for ten days. Then Tuticorin collector and senior government officials officers would then be summoned would be summoned thereafter.
