13 peope had died in police fiing during protests against Sterlite in May 2018. (File)
The Tamil Nadu government has decided to withdraw 38 cases filed against political leaders in connection with the anti-Sterlite protests of May 2018. Thirteen people had died in police firing as protesters marched to the local government headquarters in the port city of Thoothukudi, demanding that the Sterlite copper smelter controlled by Vedanta Resources that were allegedly polluting the environment, be shut.
The political leaders who will get relief through the government’s move include Vaiko, Nallakannu, TTV Dhinakaran and Premalatha Vijayakanth. The cases against leaders currently being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation, will continue.
In a statement, the government said the decision came after Chief Minister MK Stalin considered the interim inquiry report by Justice (Retired) Aruna Jagadeesan into the riots and deaths. It is unclear if the report recommended action against the police.
Earlier, cases against the protesters were withdrawn, and relief was awarded to 93 people, the statement read.
The protest against Sterlite Copper was the deadliest at an environmental protest in India in a decade.
A working group of United Nations’ human rights experts in May 2018 condemned the “apparent excessive and disproportionate use of lethal force by police”.
In the aftermath of the second wave of Covid, the plant has started producing medical oxygen after a Supreme Court order.
The approval came from the erstwhile AIADMK government on April 26 at an all-party meeting.
The plant is expected to produce oxygen for a period of four months, and the period may be extended, but other activities like copper-manufacturing and running the co-generation plant shall not be allowed, the government had said.