The Tamil Fishermen Federation (Tamil Meenavar Kootamaippu) has called upon the Tamil Nadu state government to implement the recommendations of the Justice Aruna Jagadeesan inquiry commission, which investigated the 2018 police firing incident in Tuticorin during protests against Sterlite Copper. The incident resulted in the deaths of 13 individuals.
Federation President's Statement
Addressing reporters in Madurai on Wednesday, the federation's president, advocate A. Rajini, stated that the police opened fire on people who were engaged in a peaceful protest, expressing their environmental concerns. She noted that even after nearly eight years, no action has been taken against the officials responsible for the incident.
Commission Report Recommendations
Rajini emphasized that the commission, which conducted a detailed inquiry into the police firing, submitted a report to the state government recommending action against police and revenue officials. Despite this, no disciplinary measures have been initiated. She urged the government to commence departmental action against those officials.
Chief Minister's Visit
She also mentioned that following the 2018 police firing, the current Chief Minister, C. Joseph Vijay, visited the family members of J. Snowlin, who was killed in the incident.
Demands for Memorial and Compensation
Rajini further demanded that a memorial be constructed in Tuticorin in honor of those who lost their lives and those who sustained injuries in the incident. She urged the state government to provide enhanced compensation of Rs 1 crore each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50 lakh to those who were injured.
