Delhi HC asks NHRC to consider representation seeking probe into Thoothukudi violence

A writ petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking a direction to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to investigate the violence that took place in Thoothukudi (also known as Tuticorin)..Today, a single judge bench of Justice Rajiv Shakhder asked the NHRC to consider the representation made by the petitioner, advocate A Rajarajan, who was represented by Sabrish..On Tuesday, police forces had opened fire on unarmed protesters at Sterlite’s (now Vedanta) Copper Smelter plant, who were demanding that the plant be shut down. According to news reports, 13 people were killed in the firing..The petitioner states that he had made a representation before the NHRC against gross human rights violations by the police under the guise of dispersing the protesting crowd. However, the Commission refused to consider the representation on an urgent basis. Instead, it had asked for a ground report from the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police for Tamil Nadu..The petition states that the police cannot be entrusted with the investigation and that without the direct intervention of NHRC, there is every possibility of destruction of evidence by the police. The petition states that,.“national human rights commission being an autonomous statutory body entrusted with the special task of protection human rights, it becomes imperative for the commission to act proactively with the powers entrusted to it under the protection of human rights act 1993.”.Therefore, it had been prayed that the Court direct the NHRC to consider the petitioner’s representation on an urgent basis and dispose of the same..Earlier this week, a PIL was filed in the Supreme Court, seeking that a case of murder under Section 302 IPC be registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against all concerned officers of the Tamil Nadu Police.