Hindu temple president, priest file FR petition

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 June 2007, 13:46 GMT]
Mr.N.Jeganathan, President of Vee'lana'i Sri Muthumaariamman Koayil committee and Mr S.Manoharajan Iyer, priest of the Koayil Thursday filed a fundamental right violation petition in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, seeking the court to declare that their arrest and detention were illegal and to order their release with appropriate compensation, legal sources said.

Senior Counsel Ms Gowrishankary Thavarajah filed the petition on behalf of the petitioners.

Petitioners were arrested in April 2007 and are being detained at Terrorist Intelligence Department office in Colombo.

The petitioners have cited police and navy personnel who arrested them, Officer-in-Charge of Kayts Police Station, OIC, Kankeasanthu'rai Police, Director of the TID, Inspector General of Police, Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Defence Ministry Secretary and Attorney General as respondents, legal sources said.

Petitioners state that they were taken into custody after they lodged a complaint to the police about an abandoned green coloured bag found in the Koavil premises. Thereafter they were airlifted to Colombo.

Petitioners add that the police did not tell the reason for their arrest.