The Hindu : Advani urged to expedite review of Gopal's arrest

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Saturday, May 31, 2003

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Advani urged to expedite review of Gopal's arrest

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI May 30. A. Kamaraj, Associate Editor of the Tamil bi-weekly Nakkeeran, today met the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, and sought his intervention to expedite the process of review of the arrest of the Editor of the magazine, R.R. Gopal, under POTA by the Central Review Committee, headed by Justice R.S. Saharya.

Mr. Kamaraj later told The Hindu that Mr. Advani had promised to do the needful. He had explained to Mr. Advani how Mr. Gopal was arrested on April 11 on ``the false allegation of possessing unlicensed arms and ammunition and later a charge under POTA was added.''

The petition said that when the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Governments were desperate to save the film actor, Rajkumar, from the captivity of the forest brigand, Veerappan, Mr. Gopal agreed to act as an official emissary risking his life and he was successful in his mission.

``Now it is an irony that the same official emissary who saved Rajkumar from the captivity of Veerappan, himself needs to be saved from the onslaught of political victimisation''.

The petition said that Mr. Gopal's father had sent a representation to the Central Review Committee under POTA on April 26, wherein he had narrated the ``mala fide attitude of the Tamil Nadu Government and the police.''

He requested Mr. Advani to restore the fundamental and human rights of a lawful citizen to infuse confidence among the public and the fourth estate.

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