Anti-Sterlite protests: FIR reveals who ordered firing on Tuticorin protestors

Tuticorin: As Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin limps back to normalcy after the deadly anti-Sterlite protests killed 13 last week, an FIR filed in the case has now revealed the officer's name who gave a green signal to the police force to carry out the firing. 

According to news reports, an administrative officer named P Sekhar ordered the firing against a large crowd who were protesting and had threatened to set the Sterlite employees quarter and the Collectorate on fire. 

The FIR states Sekhar as a junior officer in the Revenue Department.

Also Read: Sterlite plant closed, ensure normalcy: Tamil Nadu CM

The lathi-charge and firing were issued by the administrative officer after protestors paid no heed to the microphone warning issued and continued to vandalise public property and were allegedly carrying petrol bombs.  

The police had also earlier stated that they were forced to open firing because the protestors refused to back off. 

According to an NDTV report, the locals in the area contested the claims in the FIR. Not only was any microphone warning not given, the police did not even use rubber bullets in the beginning, as rules require, they said on condition of anonymity. 

DMK chief MK Stalin in a series of tweets had also questioned as to who had ordered the police firing and why were not other means used to avoid fatal injuries. 

As videos on social media emerged in the days that followed the firing, a video released by news agency ANI, showed a policeman crawling the length of the bus and taking his position. Soon after a voice from the background made a shocking statement: "At least one should die".

A few seconds after the voice, the policeman fires his first shot.

Section 144 which was imposed last week was lifted off on Sunday and the Sterlite’s copper smelter plant in Thoothukudi was permanently shut down on Monday. 

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said that the decision to permanently close down the plant was taken “respecting the sentiment of people” and appealed to the residents to cooperate with the government and ensure normalcy completely returned in the southern coastal district.