Firing on anti-Sterlite protesters in Thoothukudi, a scar on democracy: Madras HC

Madras High court termed the police firing on citizens protesting against the Sterlite Copper plant in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district in 2018 as a “scar on democracy”

Chennai:Madras High court on Monday termed the police firing on anti-Sterlite protesters in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi "a scar on democracy". A bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice TS Sivagnanam made the observation while hearing a plea to reopen an investigation into the firing by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

NHRC had submitted the inquiry report in a sealed cover, while the petitioner and Human rights activist Henri Tiphange in his plea sought the court to publish the report in the public domain.

Hearing the matter, the bench directed to issue copies of the NHRC reports to the ASG office, petitioner and the state. However, it instructed the recipients not to reveal the report in the public domain.

Observing the 2018 firing incident, Chief Justice Banerjee said, "the protest may not be legal or legitimate, but citizens cannot be fired for the shake of corporates and governments should not allow the corporate to have an influence on them to this extent".

Meanwhile, the bench appreciated the present government's compensation measures for the victim's families and asked the state to take steps to further compensate and counsel them.

Read:'Sterlite plant in Thoothukudi to reopen for 4 months to produce oxygen'