HC bench 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 materials to the LTTE in Sri Lanka.

Justice G Rajasuriya last evening dismissed the anticipatory bail application of K Jeyaraman citing the 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 Mar 6 last, the DSP said.

Arulseelam had confessed that Ragulan alias Antony an LTTE activist had given him Rs 10 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.