The Hindu : `Q' Branch may arrest a few more

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 17, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

`Q' Branch may arrest a few more

By S. Vijay Kumar

MADURAI JULY 16. The `Q' Branch, which took over investigation of the Prevention Of Terrorism Act case against the MDMK general secretary, Vaiko, and eight others, is likely to make more arrests.

The `Q' Branch sleuths are consolidating evidence to prove MDMK support to the banned LTTE ``beyond any reasonable doubt'', official sources told The Hindu today.

The police were gathering information, besides on the June 29 meeting at Tirumangalam near here, on the speeches made by Mr. Vaiko and other party functionaries all over the State after the POTA came into force on March 28, 2002.

Thus the arrest of some more cadres appeared likely, the sources said, and pointed out that the axe might initially fall on those who displayed in the public pictures of the LTTE leader, Prabakaran with Mr. Vaiko (taken during his visit to Jaffna, Sri Lanka, in 1989).

Going by police records, of the eight persons charged along with Mr. Vaiko under the POTA, none except the former MP and Erode district secretary, Ganesamoorthy, and the Madurai Students' Wing organiser, Madurai Ganesan, made any reference to the LTTE or Mr. Prabakaran at the Tirumangalam meeting.

While the Madurai urban district secretary, `Pudur' Bhoominathan, welcomed the gathering, Nagarajan proposed a vote of thanks. The former MLA, P.S. Maniam, said Mr. Vaiko was an able leader after C. N. Annadurai, the Madurai urban district secretary, Veera Elavarasan, said though the MDMK had faced defeat electorally, the party won politically. The implementation of the Sethusamudram project was made possible because of Mr. Vaiko, he said and added the Sivakasi MP was also instrumental in preventing the Neyveli Lignite Corporation from being privatised. Nagarajan, while being escorted to the Tirumangalam taluk police station after his arrest, told mediapersons that he was being booked under the POTA for delivering the vote of thanks.

However, the police say, all the (eight persons), ``provoked'' and ``instigated'' Mr. Vaiko to speak in favour of the LTTE and hence were all liable for prosecution under the POTA. In a report sent to the Government, the Madurai SP, Ayushmani Tiwari, has said ``the speeches of the above said persons are likely to endanger the nation's security and integrity''.

The police are also collecting information on the stand taken by other political and non-political organisations on the LTTE after the POTA came into force. As the POTA is being implemented for the first time in the State, the Government is particular that the case be supported with all evidence, so that it will set a right precedent, say the sources.

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