Sterlite protest updates: 9 dead, 20 injured amid violent clashes in Tamil NaduÂ

1. Sterlite protests: 9 dead, 20 injured amid violent clashes in Tamil Nadu The protests had been going on for 100 days since Sterlite Copper announced its plans to invest Rs 25 billion in doubling the capacity of its existing facility to 800,000 tonnes per year.

2. Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu: As many as 9 people were killed on Tuesday and 20 others injured in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin, as a protest against Vedanta's Sterlite Copper unit, going on for 100 days since the company announced its plans to invest Rs 25 billion in doubling the capacity of its existing facility to 800,000 tonnes per annum, turned violent. The protesters claim that the plant is causing harm to its employees and increasing the capacity of the plant would aggravate the problems. Following a gas leak in March 2013, the then chief minister late J Jayalalithaa had ordered its closure, following which the company moved the National Green Tribunal. With the tribunal overturning the government order, the state moved the Supreme Court against it, and the petition has been pending since. Meanwhile, Opposition leaders have condemned the deaths during the protest and blamed the government for being unable to control the situation. Here are the top developments in the Tamil Nadu protests: 1. In a government statement, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswamy confirmed that the death toll had touched nine. He announced Rs 1 million for those who lost family members, Rs 300,000 for people who were injured severely, and Rs 100,000 for those with minor injuries. 2. In an official statement, Sterlite Copper late on Tuesday expressed regret and sorrow over the deaths that took place during protests against it in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin. The company said it had appealed to the government to ensure safety of the employees of the plant, as well as the surrounding communities. "It's with great sorrow and regret that we witnessed today's incidents around the protest today at Tuticorin. The company has appealed to government and authorities to ensure the safety of our employees, facilities and surrounding communities. Sterlite Copper plant is non-operational as we await approval for the consent to operate," the statement read. 3. Congress president Rahul Gandhi called the deaths during the protest "a brutal example of state-sponsored terrorism". "The gunning down by the police of nine people in the #SterliteProtest in Tamil Nadu is a brutal example of state-sponsored terrorism. These citizens were murdered for protesting against injustice. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of these martyrs and the injured," he tweeted on Tuesday.