Bench asks officials to furnish by July 9 all documents and materials related to the Tuticorin violence and firing on May 22 and 23. In his counter affidavit, Tuticorin Superintendent of Police Murali Rambha said there was no need for a CBI probe claiming the investigation by the CB-CID was progressing in a fair and impartial manner.
Police action during the anti-Sterlite protests left 13 people dead in Tuticorin in May this year. (File Photo; IANS)
The Madras High Court on Monday wanted to know why the Tamil Nadu government could not hand over to the CBI the probe into the police firing during the anti-Sterlite protests that left 13 people dead in Tuticorin in May this year.
Hearing a batch of petitions seeking a court-monitored probe into the firing, the First Bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice P T Asha asked officials to furnish by July 9 all documents and materials related to the violence and firing on May 22 and 23.
In his counter affidavit, Tuticorin Superintendent of Police Murali Rambha said there was no need for a CBI probe claiming the investigation by the CB-CID was progressing in a fair and impartial manner.
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He said the Supreme Court had observed on many occasions that courts must self-impose limitations while considering such pleas for CBI inquiry.
Rambha also submitted that besides the CB-CID probe, a one-man commission of inquiry, headed by retired High Court judge Aruna Jagadeesan, was also looking into the issue.
The national and state human rights commissions were also probing the matter, said the counter affidavit.
Opposing the prayer for filing murder cases against the revenue officials concerned who issued the firing order, Rambha said they had acted pursuant to the lawful orders issued by the competent authority and in good faith for upholding public order.
During a previous hearing, the chief justice had orally observed that it was a fit case to be investigated by the CBI since the state police were involved.
(With agency inputs)
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