Anti-Sterlite protests: The National Human Rights Commission on Tuesday issued a notice to Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Investigation to constitute a four-member team to look into the deaths in police firing during anti-Sterlite protests on May 22. The commission had asked the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) to file a reply within two weeks.

Earlier in the day, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy hailed the Tamil Nadu government’s order on “permanent closure” of Vedanata group’s copper smelter plant in Tuticorin. Speaking to media persons, Narayanasamy said it was a good decision. He also expressed grief over the death of 13 people in police firing. The government has also asked the Crime Branch of state CID to probe into the police firing case. The government had also set up an inquiry commission headed by retired High court judge Justice Aruna Jagadeesan to probe the police firing.

Meanwhile, state assembly witnessed a rocky start as main opposition leader MK Stalin and other DMK legislators arrived at the assembly wearing black clothes to protest against the firing. Stalin also demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Chief Minister Palaniswami said peace has returned in the town, their demands have been fulfilled by Amma’s government. On 22nd and 23rd may, the months-long protests for the closure of Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper unit in Tuticorin, 600 km away from the state capital of Tamil Nadu, turned violent. Locals had alleged that the plant was polluting groundwater in their area.

According to police officials, nearly 5000 protesters gathered near a local church and insisted on taking out a rally to the district collectorate after they were denied permission to march to the copper smelter plant. Stones were pelted at the security forces, government vehicles and public property were set ablaze. As the violence went on, police opened fire in which 13 people were killed.

Sterlite Copper is a unit of Vedanta Limited which operates a 400,000-tonne per annum capacity plant in Tuticorin.