Date:07/11/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/11/07/stories/2009110756370600.htm

Tamil Nadu

Seeman’s outfit withdraws PIL

Staff Reporter

MADURAI: The Madras High Court Bench here on Thursday dismissed as withdrawn a public interest litigation petition seeking permission to conduct a public meeting at Tirupparankundram near here on behalf of Naam Tamizhar, an outfit led by film director S. Seeman.

The organiser of the outfit chose to withdraw the case after a Division Bench comprising Justice D. Murugesan and Justice S. Nagamuthu asked him to file an undertaking that no speeches would be made in the public meeting in support of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a banned organisation.

T. Senthil of Madurai had filed the PIL petition to quash an order passed by the Tirupparankundram Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) on October 26 denying permission for the public meeting.

“Any speech in support of a banned organisation itself will not attract the penal provisions,” he claimed.

On the other hand, the DSP, in his counter affidavit, said that the invitees and speakers of the outfit were in the habit of making speeches that transgressed the law.

“If the public meeting is allowed, it may end in violation of laws and spreading of theories about the banned organisation,” the police officer said.

“The followers and members of the outfit had always carried posters, stickers and photos of banned organisation in the earlier meetings.”

The police in Tirunelveli, Erode and Ramanathapuram districts and Puducherry had registered cases against them under the Indian Penal Code as well as the Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act, the DSP said.