CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to respond whether it had received the report on the inquiry conducted by the National Human Rights Commission's investigation division into the 2018 police firing on protesters in Thoothukudi that left 13 people. A division Bench of the Madras High Court comprising Justice J Nisha Banu and Justice N Mala asked the Advocate-General (AG) R Shunmugasundaram whether the State government has received the report from the investigation division of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The bench directed the AG to obtain instructions from the government by September 27. If the government had received the report, the AG should find out what action has been taken by the government on the basis of the report, the bench added. The directions were issued while the bench was hearing a petition filed by human rights activist Henri Tiphagne against an order passed by the NHRC on October 25, 2018, closing the suo motu proceedings initiated by it with regard to the firing incident. The activist sought a direction to the commission to reinvestigate the case on the basis of his complaint. Even though the government accepted the report submitted by the commission headed by retired Justice Aruna Jagadeesan, it failed to take any action on the basis of the panel report, said Henri. He also alleged that the NHRC’s decision to close the case was in violation of the rules.