The Madras High Court on Monday said it was of the “firm opinion” that the violence in Kallakurichi district on Sunday due to the death of a Class XII girl was not due to a sudden provocation, but was the result of a “motivated, planned and calculated” crime.
Justice N. Sathish Kumar expressed deep anguish over the rioters having created an impression of lawlessness in the State, and suspected that there was “some force behind it.” Not convinced with the claim that a peaceful protest turned violent due to provocation, the judge said, “It only appeared to be an organised crime.” Making it clear that the State police should leave no stone unturned in bringing to book those who participated in the riots as well as those who instigated them, the judge said he was shocked to see the violence on TV channels on Sunday. It should not be difficult for the police to identify the rioters using the video footage, he added.
The judge wondered how the rioters could ransack the school building and torch several vehicles when the court was about to hear on Monday a petition filed by the girl’s father, seeking a CB-CID probe and a re-postmortem on her body.
