HC rejects pre-arrest bail to 'LTTE associate'

MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has rejected anticipatory bail to a person, wanted in connection with the smuggling of steel balls and other material to the LTTE in Sri Lanka.

Justice G Rajasuriya on Tuesday dismissed the anticipatory bail application of K Jeyaraman citing stiff opposition by the prosecution.

The Deputy Superintendent of Police, 'Q' branch, who opposed the bail plea, submitted that the petitioner was part of a gang involved in smuggling goods to the banned militant outfit. He was evading arrest for a long time.

The 'illegal' activities of the applicant came to light following the arrest of a Sri Lankan national, R Arulseelam, in Tiruchirappalli on March 6, the DSP said.

Arulseelam had confessed that Ragulan alias Antony, an LTTE activist had given him Rs10 lakh through hawala transaction for purchasing iron balls and aluminium bars from Madurai.

Later, Ragulan was arrested and 4.5 tonnes of steel balls were seized from Venkatachalapathy Nagar in Perambalur.

Two more Sri Lankans Pradeepan alias Tillai and Baheerathan alias Elavan along with S Idayathullah of Manadi in Chennai, who carried out hawala transaction, had also been arrested. Their confessions led to the arrest of a few more people instrumental in smuggling of goods from the coastal region, the counter said.

The LTTE cadres had registered a lorry in the name of Jayaraman. It was used to transport the goods to the seashore with a fake number plate.

Additional Public Prosecutor R Siva Ayyappan said so far 14 accused, including five Sri Lankans, had been arrested in the case and eleven of them detained under the National Security Act.

Granting the applicant anticipatory bail would hamper the ongoing investigation since he had to be arrested and interrogated to apprehend a couple of LTTE cadres and their associates who were still at large, he said.