Court notice to centre and Tamil Nadu in Devananda case
By IANSMonday, June 14, 2010
CHENNAI - The Madras High Court Monday issued notice to the central and Tamil Nadu governments seeking response on the petition filed by an advocate for the arrest of Sri Lankan minister Douglas Devananda, a proclaimed offender under Indian law.
The petition was filed by advocate P. Pugazhendhi against Sri Lankan Minister for Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises Douglas Devananda. It said a warrant was issued against Devananda by a court here in a murder case.
Hearing the petition, Chief Justice M.Y. Eqbal and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam ordered notice to be sent to the central and Tamil Nadu governments giving one week’s time to submit their replies.
According to the petitioner, Devananda is wanted in a 1986 shootout and murder case here. One more case was lodged against him for kidnapping a boy in 1988. In 1989, he was arrested and later let out on bail.
A sessions court here declared Devananda a proclaimed offender in 1994 after he failed to appear in the court while on bail.
A former leader of the Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), Devananda recently was on a four-day state visit to India accompanying the island nation’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
