Tuticorin firing: Death toll goes up to 13 in Sterlite Protests

Police personnel baton charge at a protestor, in Tuticorin. Pic/PTI

The death toll from police firing at Tuticorin on Thursday went up to 13, even as cases were registered against Opposition leaders, including DMK's M K Stalin and actor-politician Kamal Haasan for defying probibitory orders, officials said. Over 100 people were arrested for protesting police firing on Tuesday and Wednesday in the port city that left 13 dead.

Amid a political slugfest over the incidents of police-public clashes, DMK leader Stalin held a sit-in protest at Fort St George, the state secretariat, before being physically lifted and removed by security personnel, while Chief Minister K Palaniswami broke his silence and blamed the Opposition for "instigating" violence. Among those killed were three women, a senior police officer said.

Cases were filed against Stalin, MDMK chief Vaiko, and Kamal Haasan, who recently founded political outfit Makkal Needhi Maiam, for defying prohibitory orders on Wednesday while visiting a hospital in Tuticorin where those injured in clashes were convalescing.

Cases under IPC sections and the Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act have been registered against the arrested people. As many as 65 of those arrested were granted bail by a Tuticorin court later in the day.