MADRAS HC WANTS DESTRUCTION OF PROLTTE BOOKS

The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the authorities to destroy over 1,700 copies of books written by pro-Tamil leader Pazha Nedumaran in support of the banned LTTE in 2002, holding that if returned, these could lead to disturbance and threat to peace and public tranquillity. Justice M V Muralidharan gave the direction while upholding a lower court order dismissing Nedumaran’s petition seeking that the books be returned. He was dismissing an appeal filed by Nedumaran against the March 2, 2007 order of the first additional sessions judge here. Noting that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was a terror group that was behind the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, the judge said the Centre had declared it as an unlawful association and the ban had been periodically extended.