Firing

22 May 2018

In power

AIADMK — Tamil Nadu

Acted

Police, Tamil Nadu

Police fired on protesters at and around the Collectorate on 22 May, and fired again on 23 May, when one more person was killed. Whether the firing was provoked is contested. The Chief Minister said protesters attacked the police and torched vehicles and that the police acted in self-defence. In the High Court the State said the firing was ordered by an Executive Magistrate to disperse a riotous mob; the court noted that the officer who ordered it was not the jurisdictional Executive Magistrate and had assumed powers he did not possess. The Aruna Jagadeesan Commission found that the firing was unprovoked and not in private defence, that police shot from hiding at protesters who were far away and fleeing, and that one constable fired 17 rounds. Deaths are counted as 13 by the police and the commission; The News Minute counts 14, including a person who died in October 2018 [1][2][4][5][6][7][8][3][9]

• 11 killed in police firing on 22 May, said PTI [2]
• 13 dead (11 men, 2 women), said IG (South Range) Shailesh Kumar [1]
• 102 injured, 19 of them severely, said IG (South Range) Shailesh Kumar [1]
• more than 140 injured, including 70 policemen, said State of Tamil Nadu (Additional Advocate General, Madras High Court) [4]
• 13 dead, counting Justin Selva Mithesh, who died of lathi-charge injuries, said Aruna Jagadeesan Commission (as reported by The News Minute) [5]
• 14 dead, including one person who died in October 2018, said The News Minute [5]
• at least 33 injured by bullets, said Down To Earth [7]
• 17 rounds fired by one constable, Sudalaikannu, said Aruna Jagadeesan Commission (as reported by Deccan Herald) [6]

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