SC for fair and impartial probe into Sterlite firing

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the deaths of 13 protesters during an anti-Sterlite rally in Tamil Nadu in May 2018, in “fair and impartial” manner without being influenced by the Madras High Court's direction to “register cases under murder charges against the authorities."

“The registration of cases under respective offences should be left to the CBI," ruled a bench comprising of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Khanna, even as it allowed a plea by the Tamil Nadu government that the high court should not have issued such a direction.

The Tamil Nadu government, led by senior advocate V Giri, contended it was aggrieved by the high court's Madurai bench order of August 14, 2018.

The state government cited paragraph 42 of the judgement which stated that, “the allegation of shooting at Theresapuram, which is 12 kms away from the Collectorate, having been resorted to shortly after the shooting at the Collectorate, is to be probed. Cases have to be registered against the authorities for offences under Section 302 of the IPC as also for other offences under the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act and such other Acts that may be attracted.”

The apex court, had, in November 2018, refused to stay the high court's order for a CBI probe against police and district officials for opening fire at anti-Sterlite protesters on May 22 and 23, 2018, which killed 13 people and wounded scores.