Chennai police in touch with Delhi police over Sri Lankan minister's case

Chennai police today said it was in touch with its Delhi counterpart in connection with a 1986 murder case against Sri Lankan minister Douglas Devananda, who is part of a visiting presidential delegation, and will "take action" on the basis of its response.

City police commissioner T Rajendran said Delhi police had been informed about the case and they were waiting for their response even as the Madras high court is to take up tomorrow a petition seeking a direction to the Centre to take immediate steps for the arrest of Devananda in the November 1986 murder case.

"We are in touch with the Delhi police. We have sent a message to them. Based on their reaction, we will take action," Rajendran told reporters here. He was asked about the action the police intends to take in the case.

Asked if Devananda had been given amnesty, he said, "I can't tell you that. What I can say is (that) we are in touch with them."

The Madras high court will take up the petition by P Pugalenthi, secretary of Tamil Nadu Peoples Rights Forum, a pro-Sri Lankan Tamils body, claiming that the VIth additional sessions judge in June 1994 had issued a proclamation warrant against Devananda treating him as 'absconding accused'.

Submitting that charges had been framed against Devananda on January 20, 1987 for various offences under IPC including murder and Indian Arms Act, Pugalenthi said Devananda was currently on a visit to the country along with the president and the police "are supposed to do their duty and arrest him immediately, he being an absconding person".

Failure of the Centre to arrest Devananda and prosecute him according to the law would violate Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, Pugalenthi, an advocate, claimed. 

He alleged that the minister was also was also wanted in two other cases. 

Pugalenthi's counsel M Radhakrishnan made a mention before the acting chief justice Elip Dharma Rao, who directed the registry to number the petition and post it for hearing tomorrow.

Devananda, who is accompanying Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, has said in New Delhi that all political leaders were pardoned as per the Indo-Sri Lanka pact but he was prepared to face legal action, if any.

"I don't know about that but, according to the Indo-Sri Lanka agreement, they have given pardon to all leaders, all political leaders....If there is anything legal, I am prepared to face that," he said.