A Sri Lankan Tamil who was recently arrested by
the ‘Q’ branch-CID on suspicion of being an LTTE cadre moved the Madras High
Court on Monday seeking bail.
Chera alias Sureshkumar, along with three
others, were arrested by the police and remanded to judicial custody.
Chera said Udayadoss alias Udayashankar had
given a confession to the police that he was a member of the banned Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam and had escaped to Chennai. He also allegedly said he had
met Chera, who was staying in Pammal in a rented house.
Denying allegations made by prosecution, Chera
said he had not committed any criminal offence as alleged and had no intention
to commit any offence in Tamil Nadu and was living only as a refugee.
Seeking to be enlarged on his bail, he stated
that he was physically challenged, having lost both his legs in an explosion
during the ‘Tamil Eelam’ war and could move only using a wheel chair. His life
in prison was extremely difficult.
Vaiko’s demand
Accusing the Centre of foisting cases against
innocent Tamil youth to justify its decision to extend the ban on the LTTE,
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko has
demanded the release of four Sri Lankan Tamils who have been arrested by
police.
In a statement here, Mr Vaiko said the “Q”
branch of the police was also toeing the line of the Centre and was following
the practice of branding Sri Lankan Tamil youth as LTTE and arresting them.
He said a few days ago, the police arrested
Sureshkumar, a Sri Lankan Tamil, who was paralysed below his waist, and
forcibly obtained a statement from him. He was one of the four youths who were
arrested.
“Sri Lankan Tamils have sought refuge here to
escape the brutalities of the Sri Lankan Army and it is inhuman to foist cases
against them,” he said.
