Thoothukudi, May 22 (UNI) One person was feared dead and several others injured after police opened fire to quell hundreds of anti-Sterlite protesters, who turned violent during a massive protest here on Tuesday.
The trouble began when hundreds of protesters, who came on a procession to besiege the District Collector Office, despite prohibitory orders demanding permanent closure of the United Kingdom-based Vedanta Group’s Sterlite Copper Smelter Plant, were stopped by the police from proceeding further at VVD junction on the Thoothukudi-Tirunelveli highway.
The enraged protesters pelted stones on the police personnel and police vehicles. Police then resorted to lathi charge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the violent crowd. However, the protesters surged ahead, break through the police cordon and stormed into the District Collector’s office campus, where they set ablaze several vehicles and two wheelers, after damaging the glass window panes.
As the situation went out of control, police opened fire on the protesters. Television channels’ footage showed a middle-aged man was found lying on the ground inside the Collector Office campus with bleeding injuries.
Reports said he was killed in the police firing, however police yet to confirm it.
Additional police force have been rushed to the Collector Office campus who chased away the protesters and safely evacuated the employees from the office.
Meanwhile, the protesters set fire to a six-storey apartment housing employees of the Sterlite industry. Fire tenders rushed to the spot to extinguish the blaze.
Police sources said ten companies of Tamil Nadu Special Police battalion were rushing to Thoothukudi from neighbouring districts to maintain law and order in view of highly tense situation.
It may be recalled that the anti-Sterlite campaigners called for a massive protest as the ongoing protest which entered the 100th day today.
Most of the shops and commercial establishments in Thoothukudi town downed their shutters in support of the protest. District Collector N.Venkatesh had already issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Cr.PC in view of the protest.
Protests demanding the closure of Sterlite industry were launched by people of Kumarattiyapuram village alleging ground water pollution, in February, after the Vedanta Group announced its expansion plan.
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board rejected a plea by the Sterlite industry seeking renewal of consent to operate the plant last month following large-scale protests.
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