The Hindu : I'm innocent, Gopal tells magistrate

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 18, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

I'm innocent, Gopal tells magistrate

By Our Staff Reporter

ERODE April 17. "I am innocent and I am not involved in any criminal activitiy. The police have foisted false cases on me", R.R. Gopal, editor, Nakkeran, told Sasikala, judicial magistrate, Gobichettipalayam, today. She remanded him to judicial custody for 14 days and ordered him to appear before her on April 30.

Mr. Gopal was arrested by the police in Chennai in connection with the police informer Rajamani murder case.

The Sathyamangalam police had registered a case under Sections 302 and 201 IPC read with 25 (1-B) of the Indian Arms Act against the forest brigand Veerappan and nine others. Now they included Mr. Gopal as one of the accused.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Gopal was taken from Chennai to Gobichettipalayam amid tight security. He was kept in the Chitode police station and then taken to the Gobichettipalayam court. After he left for Chennai at 1.30 p.m., counsel said the magistrate turned down Mr. Gopal's plea for permission to undergo treatment at Erode or Gobichettipalayam for pain in the abdomen, and advised him to go to Chennai where, she said, he would get better treatment. Mr. Gopal also presented to the magistrate, an eight-page statement accusing the police.

He charged that when he was arrested in Chennai, the DSPs, Madhavan, Nagaraj, and the inspector, Lakshmanasamy, and other personnel harassed him mentally and physically. The magistrate said she would go through the statement later.

Under the direct supervisions of the SP, P. Balasubramanian, heavy police pickets were posted around the court. Lensmen and electronic mediapersons squatted on the main road near the court for five minutes, complaining that they were not allowed to take photographs or do videography. The SP pacified them.

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I'm innocent, Gopal tells magistrate