The police firing on anti-Sterlite protesters who allegedly tried to barge into the heavily guarded Thoothukudi Collectorate and the resultant casualties could have been avoided, had there been proper coordination between the State Intelligence department and the police deployed to the spot, according to senior police officers. Though the congregation of thousands of protesters happened in broad daylight, taking out the surprise element, the police seemed to have been handicapped by a lack of intelligence gathering and the absence of an alert on the mood among, and plans of, the agitators.
Dubious feat
“This is perhaps the highest number of deaths due to police firing in the State in recent years (after the Paramakudi and the Marina DMK rally firing). It seems to be a clear case of intelligence failure,” said a senior police officer. “The need to open fire could have been avoided, had the intelligence sleuths assessed ground realities and alerted the local police in advance. Had there been some liaison with persons coordinating or leading the agitation, the protesters could have been intercepted much ahead of the Collectorate campus and taken into custody...going by television visuals, it appears that the situation was completely mishandled,” another police officer said.
