A public interest litigation petition was filed before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday seeking a direction to the Thoothukudi police not to continue registration of multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) pertaining to the Thoothukudi riots. The petition also sought a court-monitored investigation into the case.
The petitioner A. John Vincent, president of the Madurai Bench High Court Advocates Association (MBHAA), in his petition alleged that the Thoothukudi police were continuing to register multiple FIRs relating to the incidents that occurred on May 22, the 100th day of the protests against Sterlite Copper.
He claimed that following the protests that turned violent, the police resorted to firing in which 13 protesters were killed. The police also claimed that a number of vehicles were damaged during the protests and their aftermath. Following the firing, the Superintendent of Police Thoothukudi nominated the Deputy Superintendent of Police to conduct a probe into the chain of events.
Statements were recorded under Section 161 (3) CrPC (The police officer may reduce into writing any statement made to him in the course of an examination under this section). Observations and seizure mahazrs were prepared on the vehicles that were said to have been damaged during the riots.
In these circumstances, the investigation into the cases was transferred to the CB-CID and the necessary documents were handed over to the department. However, the Sipcot police continued to register FIRs pertaining to vehicle damages. The charges being invoked by the police were similar to those that are cited in cases already transferred to the CB-CID and most of the vehicles damaged were already shown under the seizure mahazr report. There was no need to file subsequent criminal cases against the same occurrence, he charged.
A Division Bench of Justices M. Duraiswamy and Anita Sumanth admitted the petition and adjourned the case.
