The one-man commission of retired High Court Judge S. Rajeswaran probing into the violent incidents during the protests demanding conduct of Jallikattu in January 2017, began its enquiry into the incidents that happened in Madurai district here on Wednesday.
The Commission would conduct an in-camera inquiry at the Circuit House for three days. Justice Rajeswaran said the commission, appointed by the State government, had received 1,951 affidavits from across the State. It would not entertain any fresh affidavits, he noted.
After having conducted enquiries in Chennai and Coimbatore, the panel would examine over 25 persons, to whom summons had been issued to depose before it. The commission would take six months for submitting its report to the government, he said.
Police sources said only those incidents that were reported under Madurai rural district police limits would be heard during the sitting of the commission in Madurai.
At least 15 persons, including women protesters and police personnel, were injured in stone-pelting after the police tried to evict a large group of protesters from the jallikattu venue in Alanganallur on January 23.
In February, the panel had visited Alanganallur and two other venues of protests in Madurai.
The government had appointed the panel to probe into the causes and circumstances leading to disturbances to law and order across the State following the agitations demanding conduct of jallikattu on January 23.
On Wednesday, four persons appeared before the commission. J. Kannan (24), an engineering graduate from Kondaiyampatti near Alanganallur, was the first to appear before the commission. He was arrested and remanded in judicial custody for six days on a charge of damaging a State-run bus on January 18.
“However, the Judge said the terms and references of the probe were limited to the incidents reported on January 23,” Mr. Kannan said.
