Thoothukudi Sterlite Firing: Timeline of Inquiry, Court Cases and Verdicts

Constable seen firing from a police van dies Reported

A. Raja, an armed reserve constable widely identified as the man photographed firing from atop a police vehicle on 22 May 2018, died of kidney and liver ailments. He was among the 17 police personnel against whom the commission recommended action. He had never been charged in the CBI case.

High Court dismisses contempt plea against the CBI Court record

K. Kathiresan of Madurai had sought contempt action against CBI Director Praveen Sood. His argument was that the agency had ignored the High Court’s 2018 direction to “get to the bottom of things”. He pointed out that the CBI chargesheeted only Inspector R. Thirumalai and 101 protesters, and argued that this effective clean chit led to disciplinary proceedings being dropped.

The bench declined to examine those claims. A protest petition against the CBI chargesheet is pending before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Madurai, the competent court, which also holds the witness statements and records. The judges also disposed of the 2018 PIL batch. They noted that the commission’s compensation recommendation had been only partially complied with and expressed hope the state would ensure adequate compensation.

Court learns top officials’ disciplinary cases were dropped Court record

A state compliance affidavit showed the previous government had dropped disciplinary action against the then collector N. Venkatesh, South Zone IG Shailesh Kumar Yadav and DIG Kapil Kumar C. Saratkar. The inquiry authority in the case of SP P. Mahendran was told to resubmit its report with clear findings. Cases against eight other police officials were at the minutes stage, and three more were awaiting final orders. A sub-inspector’s punishment and a head constable’s black mark had been cancelled on appeal. Proceedings against three deputy tahsildars were stayed by the High Court.

The bench asked the Advocate General to obtain the present government’s view on departmental action and pending compensation by 10 September 2026. Petitioners’ counsel Henri Tiphagne sought balance compensation and a transfer of the probe from the CBI to a state special team.

“Patience is greater than the ocean” Court record

The government told the court that the commission’s recommendations had been partially accepted and that departmental action was under consideration. Petitioners said families had waited eight years for the balance of ₹20 lakh in compensation. The court gave the state one week to file an affidavit covering recommendations, compensation paid, jobs given to affected persons and action against officials.

High Court bench questions the CBI’s independence Reported

A Division Bench criticised the agency’s work, according to The Hindu. It said a chargesheet naming a single inspector for 13 deaths suggested the agency had not acted independently. These were oral and order observations, not a finding of guilt against any officer.

CBI says further investigation is complete Court record

The CBI told the High Court it had completed the further investigation ordered in December 2023 and filed an additional report before the Madurai CJM. The court also ordered notices to the police and revenue officials named as respondents in a writ petition over the firing.

Magistrate rejects the CBI’s chargesheet Court record

The magistrate acted on objections from K.S. Arjunan, a former Thoothukudi district secretary of the CPI(M), who had named several police officers and tahsildars in his original complaint. The court ordered a further investigation and a report within six months.

Commission report tabled in the Assembly Commission

The report called the firing unprovoked and excessive. It found that protesters at the collectorate were unarmed, had thrown only stones, and posed no imminent threat to police life or limb. It recommended action against 17 police personnel, departmental action against Collector N. Venkatesh, and action against three revenue officials who served as special executive magistrates.

It also recommended raising compensation to ₹50 lakh per bereaved family and ₹10 lakh per injured person, with amounts already paid deducted from those totals.

Cabinet limits further payments State action

The state later told the High Court that orders issued after this Cabinet meeting restricted further financial assistance to the families of the deceased. That decision is why ₹25 lakh was paid instead of the commission’s ₹50 lakh.

Commission submits final report to the Chief Minister Commission

The report was handed to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin almost four years after the firing. It was tabled in the Assembly five months later.

Court flags the narrow CBI final report Court record

While reviewing the CBI’s final report, the magistrate noted that it named only Inspector R. Thirumalai, although the complainant had named several police and revenue officials. The original penal sections in the FIR had been replaced by minor provisions. The court issued notice to the complainant to hear his objections, which set up the 2023 rejection.

CBI registers its FIR; NHRC closes its case Reported

Around five months after the firing, the CBI registered an FIR naming unidentified police and revenue officials. The National Human Rights Commission, which had taken suo motu cognisance in May, closed its case by October 2018 on the ground that compensation had been paid.

Madras High Court orders a CBI probe Court record

Acting on around 15 PILs, the Madurai Bench transferred the investigation to the CBI because state police could not credibly investigate their own personnel. It also quashed National Security Act cases against six members of Makkal Adhikaram. Earlier, on 2 August, it had directed that the 173 FIRs filed against protesters be clubbed into one.

Tamil Nadu orders the plant shut permanently State action

The government directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to seal the smelter and close it permanently. The plant had already been idle since its consent to operate expired on 31 March 2018. The closure began a separate environmental case and is not part of the criminal case over the deaths.

Second day of firing; inquiry commission appointed The incident

Police opened fire for a second day during a crackdown in Anna Nagar, killing Kaliappan, a young man in his early twenties. That brought the toll to 13. The same day, the state appointed retired High Court judge Aruna Jagadeesan to a one-member commission of inquiry.

Police open fire on the 100th day of protest The incident

Thousands marched towards the collectorate on the 100th day of the renewed campaign against the plant’s expansion. Firing began around noon near the collectorate and lasted until about 1.30 pm, with another round in Threspuram at about 3 pm. Twelve people died, including two women and 17-year-old Snowlin. The commission later recorded 43 people with gunshot wounds.

The state said at the time that a violent mob had forced its hand. The commission rejected that account. It found that vehicles and staff quarters were torched after the shootings, by protesters enraged by the deaths, “and it is not the other way about”.

Kumareddiyapuram sit-in begins Background

Residents of Kumareddiyapuram began a sit-in against the proposed expansion of the smelter, starting the 100-day campaign. The TNPCB later refused to renew the plant’s consent to operate, citing non-compliance on safety and effluent management.

Gas leak and a ₹100 crore Supreme Court fine Court record

After a gas leak from the plant, the Supreme Court fined the company ₹100 crore for polluting the area, but let it keep operating.

Smelter begins operating Background

Approved by the J. Jayalalithaa-led government in 1994, the Vedanta-owned smelter began operations two years later. Complaints about breathing difficulty and eye and throat problems began soon after, and so did protests. A Madras High Court order briefly shut the plant in 1998, but it reopened within a month.