CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the state to file a reply on what action has been taken to prosecute 17 officials, including a district collector and an inspector general of police, as recommended by Justice Aruna Jagadeesan commission regarding the police firing on anti-Sterlite protesters in Thoothukudi in 2018 in which 13 people died. A division bench of Justices J Nisha Banu and N Mala on Friday asked the government to explain “what has been done in terms of prosecution and disciplinary action” based on the commission’s  recommendation. The court direction came on a petition filed by human rights activist and executive director of People’s Watch Henry Tiphagne challenging the national human rights commission’s (NHRC) decision to close the suo motu inquiry initiated by it in the firing incident.

Tiphagne said the commission had recommended action against 17 police and revenue officials but no action has been taken yet. He also said the CBI had registered FIR against only one police inspector. Regarding the closure of inquiry by the NHRC, he said the rights body had not touched upon the report of its investigation department but only cited the report filed by the state to close the inquiry. Advocate General R Shunmugasundaram told the HC the state has not received any probe report from the NHRC. The judges posted the case to November 17, 2023.