NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, MAY 21
Except serious cases, including those with the Central Bureau of Investigation, all others against anti-Sterlite Copper protesters would be withdrawn and relief assistance of Rs one lakh each to 93 arrested people shall be given, the Tamil Nadu government announced on Friday.
#Thoothukudi துப்பாக்கிச்சூடு குறித்த இடைக்கால அறிக்கை பெறப்பட்ட ஒருவார காலத்திலேயே வழக்குகளைத் திரும்பப் பெறவும் – கைது செய்யப்பட்டவர்களுக்கு நிவாரணத் தொகை, தடையில்லாச் சான்று அளித்திடவும் உத்தரவிட்டிருக்கிறேன்.
நாளை 3-ஆம் ஆண்டு நினைவு நாள்!
உரிய நீதி நிலைநாட்டப்படும். pic.twitter.com/2alIqyMyUp
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) May 21, 2021
Except cases over damage to public and private properties and some other cases, including pending matters in the Supreme Court, all other police cases against protesters would be dropped, an official release here said.
Chief Minister M K Stalin took the decision today, based on the interim report of Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, heading the Commission of Inquiry into the Tuticorin police firing and violence.
Also, it was after getting the opinion of Advocate General R Shanmugasundaram and a report from the Director General of Police, J K Tripathy on this matter.
The protests in Tuticorin in southern Tamil Nadu against Vedanta’s unit Sterlite Copper over environment concerns peaked on May 22, 2018 leading to violence that resulted in 13 deaths in police firing.
A retired judge of the Madras High Court, Jagadeesan, was appointed in 2018 under the Commissions of Inquiry Act to look into aspects, including the causes and circumstances that led to the police firing and damage to public and private properties.
The Commission’s interim report that was presented to the Chief Minister on May 14, recommended withdrawal of “unnecessary cases,” the government said.
The inquiry panel has recommended relief to 94 people who were arrested and accordingly 93 would be given Rs one lakh each and Rs two lakh to the mother of a deceased person. Also, as per the commission’s another recommendation, No-objection certificate would be given to those who were arrested in connection with the protests, considering their higher education and job opportunities.
தூத்துக்குடி #Sterlite ஆலைக்கு எதிரான போராட்டத்தில் நடத்தப்பட்ட துப்பாக்கிச்சூடு சம்பவத்தில் உயிரிழந்தோரின் வாரிசுகள், கொடுங்காயமுற்றோர் என 17 பேர்களுக்கு அவர்களின் கல்வித்தகுதிக்கு ஏற்ப அரசுப் பணி நியமன ஆணைகளை இன்று மதுரை மாவட்ட ஆட்சியர் அலுவலகத்தில் வழங்கி ஆறுதல் கூறினேன். pic.twitter.com/dlcMzhK19c
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) May 21, 2021
Meanwhile, Stalin gave away appointment orders for government jobs to 17 people (heirs of those killed during the protest and also some those who suffered grievous injuries in the stir) in an event held at the Madurai District Collectorate.