CBI Names 71 Anti-Vedanta Protesters For Tamil Nadu Violence: Report

The Central Bureau of Investigation has framed charges on 17 counts including damage to public property and possession of deadly weapons, one of the sources said.

India's federal police have charged 71 people for rioting and arson during deadly protests over environmental concerns at Vedanta Ltd's copper smelter in Tamil Nadu three years ago, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Police opened fire to beat back the protesters in the southern seaside town of Thoothukudi where 13 people were killed, causing national outrage and the subsequent closure of the Sterlite Copper plant in May 2018 for alleged pollution. The Central Bureau of Investigation has framed charges on 17 counts including damage to public property and possession of deadly weapons, one of the sources said. These charges carry a maximum penalty of up to seven years in prison. The charges have not yet been made public. The top law enforcement agency did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The company in which Indian-born resources magnate Anil Agarwal has a controlling stake, denied it is in breach of environmental laws.