Thoothukudi incidents: State to submit reports on July 23

AAG tells HC that they will include video evidence

Many people were being held captive for over a month, senior counsel representing the petitioner informs the court.

MADURAI

The State government on Wednesday told the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court that it would submit on July 23 the reports pertaining to the incidents prior to the Thoothukudi riots which broke out on the 100th day of the anti-Sterlite agitation.

Additional Advocate General P.H. Arvindh Pandian told the court that the State’s reports would include video evidence. He said a large number of policemen were also injured in the riots and vehicles belonging to police department and common men were damaged.

Senior counsel M. Ajmal Khan, representing the petitioner, advocate A. John Vincent, told the court that multiple cases were being registered over damage caused to vehicles though the investigation was transferred to the CB-CID.

People were being arrested based on the first information reports and remanded in judicial custody. With a delay in hearing of the cases, many people were being held captive for over a month. Some of them did not even know the reason for their remand, he said.

Mr. John Vincent claimed that most of the vehicles damaged during the riots were already recorded in the seizure mahazar.

The court also heard cases pertaining those remanded under the National Security Act, 1980. Senior counsel N.R. Elango said there was no necessity to invoke the provisions of the NSA.

A Division of Justices C.T. Selvam and A.M. Basheer Ahamed adjourned the cases related to anti-Sterlite protests and Thoothukudi riots till July 23.