The inquiry committee set up by the Government of Tamil Nadu to probe the Thoothukudi-Sterlite killings took charge on Monday. Retired High Court (HC) judge Aruna Jagadeesan will head the probe.

The probe will be conducted in parts by collecting statements from local people, victims in the hospital, relatives of the people who lost their lives, eyewitnesses, police officers, higher authorities and doctors who are tending to the injured. The team will also visit the Sterlite factory, the Collectorate and other areas where violence happened.

Speaking to the reporters, Aruna Jagadeesan assured a fair and unbiased investigation and said that all the statements will be recorded by June 22.

The deadline could be extended up to June 30 to submit statements and evidence. She also asked people to come forward and record their statements with the committee between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. She directed all the media outlets to submit their unedited footage of the incident at the head office in Chennai or in Thoothukudi.

The incident under probe occurred when the police open-fired at the Anti-Sterlite protesters in Thoothukudi on May 22, killing 13 civilians. This sparked outrage across the state and led to the permanent shutdown of the factory on May 28.