Madurai: Madras High Court bench here today
ordered a CBI investigation into the September 11 Police
firing on a rampaging crowd of Dalits that left six persons
dead at Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu.
Passing orders on a batch of petitions, a division bench,
however, refused to order any action against the District
Collector and police officials, including SPs and DIG, saying
they had only taken precautionary measures.
Justice K N Basha and Justice M Venugopal directed the
Investigating Officer to handover the entire case records to
the Joint director of CBI within 10 days from the date of
receipt of the court order.
Six persons died in the police firing after a crowd of
Dalits indulged in violence following detention of their
leader John Pandian while on his way to pay homage to Dalit
leader Imanuel Sekar on his death anniversary at Paramakudi.
The state government had ordered an inquiry headed by
retired judge K Sampath into the incident.
The court passed the order while disposing of ten
petitions filed among others by Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi
leader Tol Tirumavalavan, BSP and Dr Ambedkar Lawyer legal
Protection Centre, demanding a CBI inquiry, registering murder
cases against police officials responsible for the firing and
enhancing the compensation.
The judges made it clear that in ordering the CBI probe,
the court had not reflected on the credibility of either the
local police or the state government and it was only guided by
the `larger requirements of justice`.
"It is necessary to ensure that investigation should not
only be fair but should also seen to be fair, in order to
instil confidence in the mind of victims` relatives and
general public," the Judges observed.
PTI
