The Justice Aruna Jegadeesan Commission probing the police firing during the anti-Sterlite protests in which 13 persons were killed has made it clear that actor Rajinikanth, who had asserted that he had evidences to prove that anti-socials had infiltrated the agitation and triggered the violence, will be grilled in person and not through videoconferencing.
Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Arul Vadivel, counsel of the Justice Aruna Jegadeesan Commission, said the Commission, which had summoned 943 persons, had so far inquired 640 persons including the family members of the victims, the injured, protestors, their coordinators, advocates and others, who were witness to the violent incidents and marked 1,089 documents.
Of the 33 persons summoned to appear before the Commission during the 25th phase of the inquiry, 26 responded to the summons and recorded their statements in the form of affidavits.
During the 26th phase of the investigation, which might commence on March 15, the Commission would grill the revenue departments officials, injured policemen, doctors who treated the police personnel injured in the violence besides others.
After registering case against 27 persons in connection with the violence that erupted during the anti-Sterlite agitation on May 22, 2018, the CBI, the investigating agency, had identified 44 more persons involved in violence – mostly stone pelting - and included their names in the case. Hence, the Commission would summon these 44 persons also asking them to appear before it for inquiry.
IAS and the IPS officers who were serving in the district during the firing would be summoned and questioned in the last phase of the probe.
Mr. Vadivel categorically stated that the Commission would summon Mr. Rajinikanth to depose before it personally to record his statement as there was no possibility of interrogating him through videoconferencing.
“If Mr. Rajinikanth prefers, he may be asked to appear before the Commission in its Chennai office instead of coming to Thoothukudi,” Mr. Vadivel said.