Cong MLA urges LTTE chief's extradition

Chennai, Apr 25 (UNI) Congress legislator C Gnanasekaran today urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to prevail upon the Centre to seek the extradition of LTTE Supremo Velupillai Prabakaran and produce him before the designated court to face trial in the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case.

Participating in the debate on the demand for grants for Police Department, he said it was 16 years since the court in suburban Poonamallee, which tried the case, had declared Prabakaran as a proclaimed offender, but he was yet to be produced before the court.

''A NBW is pending for the last 16 years...what action has the Tamil Nadu police taken in all these years to seek the extradition of the LTTE leader?'' he asked.

This only showed the law had failed, he alleged and demanded the Centre, through Interpol, to seek the extradition of Prabakaran and make him face trial in the assassination case in which he was cited as first accused, the Congress member said.

Mr Gnanasekaran also charged the CBI, which investigated the case, with ''sleeping over'' the matter, giving an impression the premier agency had become ''impotent.'' The Chief Minister should take action and ensure the NBW against Prabakaran was executed at the earliest, he said.

Mr Gnanasekaran also alleged there had been an increase in the activities of the banned LTTE in the state in the last three months and gave details of arrests of Sri Lankan Tamils and seizures of alumnimum bars, iron balls, detonators, AK 56 rifle, hand grenades and explosive filled jacket from them.

MORE UNI