EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ CHENNAI:
Two months after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) closed the case pertaining to killing of 13 anti-Sterlite protesters by Tamil Nadu police personnel in Thoothkudi, human rights groups have urged the commission to re-open the case after the post-mortem reports of the victims was leaked to the media.
The autopsy reports of 12 out of 13 protesters killed, show they were hit by bullets in the head or chest, and half of them were shot from behind.
Urging the National Human Rights commission to reopen the case pertaining to killing of anti-Sterlite protesters, Henri Tiphagne, founder and executive director of Madurai-based human rights organisation People's Watch, has urged NHRC chairperson H L Dattu that families of those killed in the firing were denied the post-mortem reports for seven months despite Tamil Nadu government assurance to Madras High court that it will be handed over to the victims' families.
Alleging that Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission of enquiry has till now examined 90 witnesses and needs to examine 450 more witness which will take a minimum of one more year, Henri said NHRC before closing the case should have insisted on asking for details of the disciplinary action initiated against those senior officers whose command was responsible for the actions that followed leading to the killings and several hundred being injured.
“Till date there is no FIR that names any police personnel or officere responsible for the deaths that have occurred and the several hundred injured persons,” said Henri.
“The Commission while putting the onus on the Judicial Commission formed by the government of Tamil Nadu has failed to use its own powers under the protection of Human Rights which is more wide and powerful that the Terms of Reference of the Judicial Commission formed by the government of Tamil Nadu,” he stated.
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