The Hindu : Arrest incident-free

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 12, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Arrest incident-free

By K.T. Sangameswaran

The Vaiko convoy near the Chennai Airport on Thursday. The MDMK leader was taken in the fourth vehicle, surrounded by police escort. — Photo: K. Pichumani

CHENNAI July 11. Heavy security in and around the airport here marked the arrest of the Sivakasi MP and MDMK leader, Vaiko, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act on Thursday.

Given the factors involved in the case — the first booked under the recently-enacted special legislation, the persons involved, including a sitting parliamentarian, and the issue concerned — the police took no chances. Mr. Vaiko was arrested under the POTA for his pro-LTTE speech.

In fact, the authorities had been planning for the past couple of days to carry out the operations in a ``smooth manner'' with a view to avoiding any untoward incident and controversy.

When contacted, the Director-General of Police, B.P. Nailwal, told The Hindu that the ``arrest passed off peacefully. There was no trouble whatsoever''.

Preventive arrests

The police made preventive arrests in the last two days. About 3,200 persons, including the MDMK presidium chairman, L.Ganesan, were taken into custody, police sources said, adding not all of them would be released immediately as the party had planned a picketing programme.

A heavy posse of policemen was posted on the airport premises. Despite this arrangement, several persons sneaked inside and about 85 persons were arrested.

It was earlier proposed to bring the MP to the city and later take him to Madurai, but this plan had to be abandoned because his arrival here was delayed by nearly two hours, the sources said. He was taken to Madurai directly from the airport. In view of this arrangement, the police did not permit the party workers anywhere near the airport. They put up barricades on the GST Road to regulate vehicles and check the movements of the party volunteers. Empty drums came in handy for the police to regulate traffic at a place on the GST Road, beyond the airport.

However, a few ``enterprising youths'' were standing by the side of the railway embankment opposite the airport, apparently to watch the event. At one stage, they attempted to reach the GST Road but on seeing the police approaching them, ran back to the rail track.

Bandobust had been provided on the national highway beyond the airport, towards Tambaram.

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