MADURAI: The Madras high court on Friday directed the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to submit the report of its team that probed the police firing on anti-Sterlite protesters in Tuticorin in 2018.
It also directed the Tamil Nadu government to submit the interim report of the Justice (retired) Aruna Jagadeesan Commission.
The court passed the interim order in a petition filed by Henri Tiphagne, an advocate appearing as party in person.
The petitioner sought for a direction to the NHRC to reopen the case pertaining to the police firing incident.
He also sought a direction to furnish the report of the investigation team of the NHRC.
A division bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice T S Sivagnanam observed, “It is somewhat alarming that the state through its police fired at unarmed protesters and no one is booked three years after the incident.
It may not augur well for a civilised society governed by the constitutional principles that we have to merely throw money at the families of the victims and give closure to an incident of possible brutality and excessive police action.” The judges observed that no conclusion needs to be drawn yet before the facts came to light.
However, it was necessary that the facts should come to light and be made public, observed the judges.
The judges made the observations taking into account that the NHRC, which took suo motu cognizance of the matter, had initially observed that right to life of victims had been grossly violated.
However, the NHRC closed the proceedings in October 2018, expressing that no further investigation was required, by taking note of the report submitted by the state wherein it was stated that adequate compensation had been paid to the kin of victims, steps had been taken to bring normalcy and that a judicial commission was looking into the matter.
Advocate general R Shanmugasundaram submitted that the Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission submitted an interim report before the government on May 14, 2021.
Taking cognizance of the submissions, the judges said the state should disclose the interim report of the commission in its counter wherein the state’s stand must be spelt out.
The judges said that it was also necessary that the report filed by the investigation team of the NHRC to be forwarded to the court, in a sealed cover, in the event the commission feels that it is delicate.
The judges said since the matter is of importance, let it be taken up at the principal seat in Chennai.
The case was adjourned to August 9.