People’s Watch, the human rights organisation based in Madurai, appealed to the Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to initiate necessary action against the police officers and ensure complete awarding of the compensation to all those killed and injured in the Thoothukudi Sterlite firing, as per the Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission of inquiry report by May 22 2026.

During a press meet here on Wednesday, Henri Tiphagne, the coordinator of the organisation, was confident that Mr. Vijay who took an unusual attempt to invite the 20 families of custodial torture victims to his place even before he won the election, would be earful of the long-pending grievances of such families who have lost their loved ones to the indiscriminate violence of the police.

However, Mr. Tiphagne noted, “This is a historic milestone in the State’s political scenario, as no political party leader in Tamil Nadu has undertaken such an initiative of meeting with so many victim families of different cases at one go.”

Through some of the participants and I. Aseervatham, State coordinator of People’s Watch, he said that he learned about Mr. Vijay’s approach of individually inquiring with each family about the loss they had undergone in losing their family member of custodial torture.

“In particular, upon hearing about the death of the minor boy Gokul Sri, who was tortured and killed at the Chengalpattu Government Observation Home, Mr. Vijay held the hand of the grieving mother and was moved to tears,” he added.

Mr. Aseervatham adding, said, after he presented the details of the 28 custodial death cases that took place in DMK government to Mr. Vijay, the former after expressing frustration, said, “What am I going to do for the people of our society who have come to me with so much faith and hope, living in the most marginalised conditions.”

Mr. Tiphagne, taking the lead from the new Chief Minister’s approach to the custodial violences and tortures, demanded, “While observing the eight anniversary of the 16 lives that were lost in the Thoothukudi Sterlite firing on May 22, 2026, the new government should ensure completion of the departmental action against the police and revenue department personnel involved in the crime withing a time frame to be made public as per the Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission of Inquiry report.”

Further, he said, action should be initiated immediately, by registering criminal cases against the erring police and revenue officers, arresting the accused where required, appointing Special Investigation Team, conducting a speedy investigation, filing a chargesheet and proceeding with the trial – all in a time-bound manner.

It should also be ensured that the pending compensation to all those killed and injured in the firing be disbursed immediately, he added.

“The criminal cases filed by the CBI against the innocent protesters should be withdrawn. The cases pending before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Madurai for the past four years should be withdrawn immediately,” Mr. Tiphagne stated.

Apart from this, he demanded the establishment of exclusive special courts (expecting those pending SC/ST courts) wherever required to ensure speedy trial to deliver justice and relief to the affected families in all cases of custodial deaths that occurred in police custody in Tamil Nadu under the DMK government.

“Ensure provision of compensation to all affected families who lost their loved one in such custodial deaths during the previous government, as was granted in the Ajith Kumar case following an order of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court,” Mr. Tiphagne observed.