A team of officials from the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Saturday inspected the violence-hit Collectorate premises and the nearby staff quarters of Sterlite Copper, where nearly 100 vehicles, including 26 four-wheelers, were torched when an anti-Sterlite protest turned violent on May 22.
After holding a discussion with Collector Sandeep Nanduri shortly before noon, the team, comprising Jayachandran and Chitharanjan Mohandas, visited the Collectorate’s parking lot and inspected the completely charred two-wheelers that were still lying there. Later, they visited the Sterlite Copper staff quarters, housing 50 families and 100 bachelors.
“A section of the protesters who entered the staff quarters torched all the vehicles, including the four-wheelers parked on the basement. As the blaze from the burning vehicles threatened the first floor residents, the families swiftly moved to the top floor of the three-storeyed building. Sensing danger, the police rushed to the quarters to quell the rioters and rescue the stranded families,” Joint Superintendent of Police Selvanagarathinam told the SHRC team. Following the arson, all 300 people residing at the quarters moved out.
After assessing the damage to the Collectorate premises and the Sterlite Copper staff quarters, the SHRC team met the victims of the violence, who were undergoing treatment at the Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital (TMCH). The police, government officials and mediapersons were kept out.
“We told the SHRC members what we saw on that day, and about the attack that was unleashed on us,” a victim said after the team left the TMCH via the rear entrance, without addressing the mediapersons waiting at the main entrance.
The SHRC team also visited the Our Lady of Snows Church, where the anti-Sterlite protesters held a dharna for several days before the 100th-day march towards the Collectorate, and met a few affected families there.
Parallel probe
In the evening, a National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) team, comprising Bhubhul P. Prasad, Rajvir Singh, Nithin Kumar, Arun Tyagi and Lal Bahar, met the Collector. The team is expected to commence its six-day probe into the violence and the consequent police firing on Sunday, the 3rd of June.
