HC seeks State’s response to plea for CBI probe

The Madras High Court on Friday sought the response of the State government, by May 30, to a public interest litigation petition seeking a CBI probe into the death of 13 people in the Thoothukudi police firing incident.

A Division Bench of Justices T. Ravindran and P. Velmurugan passed an interim order directing the Home Secretary to consider a representation given by the PIL petitioner, A.P. Suryaprakasam, 65, on Thursday, seeking treatment for the injured in private hospitals at the State’s cost, besides lifting the ban on provision of internet services in Thoothukudi as well as the contiguous Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts.

During the course of hearing of the case, the petitioner contended that it would only be appropriate for an independent agency such as the CBI to probe the incident, especially when the Chief Minister, holding the Home portfolio, appeared to be backing the policemen involved in the incident.

Later, when the judges wanted to know whether Thoothukudi had returned to normalcy, Additional Advocate General Narmadha Sampath said: “Normalcy has been restored to the fullest.”

A Vacation Bench of the Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a petition seeking a probe by the CBI into the deaths in police firing during the anti-Sterlite protest in Thoothukudi on Tuesday. It said the petitioner could press his plea again on Monday, before the next Vacation Bench.