INDIAN COURT DIRECTS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO LOOK INTO THE SRILANKAN MINISTER ISSUE
By ANITuesday, June 15, 2010
NATURAL WITH ENGLISH SPEECH
DURATION: 2.15
SOURCE: ANI
TV AND WEB RESTRICTIONS: NO ACCESS BBC
Indian court directs federal government to look into the Srilankan Minister issue.
The Madras High Court, in India’s southern Chennai city, directs the federal government to look into the issue surrounding the demand for arrest of Douglas Devananda, Sri Lankan Minister, accused of killing one person in Chennai in 1986.
SHOWS:
CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU, INDIA (JUNE 14, 2010) (ANI- NO ACCESS BBC)
1. EXTERIOR OF MADRAS HIGH COURT
2. SIGNBOARD READING ‘MADRAS HIGH COURT’
3. THE HIGH COURT BUILDING
4. PEOPLE OUTSIDE COURT’S PREMISES
5. LAWYERS COMING OUT THE COURT
6. LAWYERS STANDING
7. M RADHAKRISHNAN, COUNSEL FOR THE PETITIONER TALKING TO MEDIAPERSONS
8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) M RADHAKRISHNAN, COUNSEL FOR THE PETITIONER, SAYING: “The Chief Justice observed that if at all he had to be arrested, it should have been done only as per the Extradition Act. I also answered you know extradition process is a lengthy process but the government should be immediately directed to commence the process.”
9. RADHAKRISHNAN
10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) M RADHAKRISHNAN, COUNSEL FOR THE PETITIONER, SAYING:”The chief justice and honorable Mr. Justice Sivagnanam directed both the ministry of external affairs and home (interior) ministry of government of India and home department of government of Tamil Nadu (India’s southern state) and Director General of Police to look into the matter and reply to the court within a week.”
RECENT- CHANDIGARH, INDIA (ANI- NO ACCESS BBC)
11. DOUGLAS DEVANANDA, SRI LANKAN MINISTER FOR TRADITIONAL INDUSTRIES AND SMALL ENTERPRISES, GETTING DOWN FROM A HELICOPTER
12. DOUGLAS SITTING IN A CAR
13. CARS LEAVING THE AIRPORT
14. DOUGLAS SITTING IN THE CAR
15. SRI LANKAN AIRLINER STANDING AS CARS LEAVE THE RUNWAY
STORY: The Madras High Court, in India’s southern Chennai city on Monday (June 14), directed the federal government to look into the issue surrounding the demand for arrest of Douglas Devananda, Sri Lankan Minister, accused of killing one person in Chennai in 1986.
A pro-Sri Lankan Tamil forum filed public interest litigation on Wednesday (June 09) accusing Devananda of opening fire that killed one person and injured four others in Chennai city in November 1986.
Lawyer of the petitioner M Radhakrishnan argued in the court that the government of India should initiate the extradition process with Sri lankan government, so that the accused Minister could be arrested.
“The Chief Justice observed that if at all he had to be arrested, it should have been done only as per the Extradition Act. I also answered you know extradition process is a lengthy process but the government should be immediately directed to commence the process,” said Radhakrishnan.
Radhakrishnan said the Chief justice of Madras High Court has directed the Indian government to look into the issue and submit its reply to the court within a week.
“The chief justice and honorable Mr. Justice directed both the ministry of external affairs and home (interior) ministry of government of India and home department of government of Tamil Nadu (India’s southern state) and Director General of Police to look into the matter and reply to the court within a week,” said Radhakrishnan.
A Madras High Court bench comprising Chief Justice M Y Eqbal and Justice T S Sivagnanam is hearing the case.
Earlier on Friday (June 11) the Madras High Court, had postponed the hearing of a plea seeking the arrest of Devananda, till Monday (June 14) averting a diplomatic row between India and Sri Lanka. He is a proclaimed offender in India.
Douglas Devananda, was part of the delegation which had accompanied Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on a four day visit to India between June 8 to June 11.
He was a member of the separatist Eelam People’s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) when he and nine others fired at civilians in Chennai.
Devananda, however, maintains that he had been pardoned under the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord of 1987.
Media reports say that Devananda is the only one who attended all the court trials and finally obtained bail but others had absconded. Devananda also absconded in 1994 and cases against him are still pending in the court.
In the 1980s, Chennai (then known as Madras) was where a number of Sri Lanka’s militant outfits used to live.
