Chennai court closes criminal charge against slain LTTE chief

, Nov 24: A local court on Friday, Nov 23 closed a criminal charge filed against slain

chief Prabhakaran, pending before it for many years.

The VII Additional Sessions Judge (In charge) Kaliamoorthy declared the charge as "abated," following the Crime Branch-CID request to close it on the ground that Prabhakaran's body was recovered from the Nandikadal area of Sri Lanka in 2009.

According to police, Prabhakaran and his associate Sivakumar allegedly fired at their rivals Uma Maheswaran and Jotheeswaran of People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) in Pondy Bazaar on May 19, 1982.

After registering a case of attempt to murder, under IPC section 307 and provisions of the Arms Act, police had arrested Prabhakaran and Sivakumar who were later given conditional bail.

CB-CID had relied on Interpol and Sri Lankan police reports to state that the LTTE chief's body was recovered after an armed conflict in the Nandikadal area.

CB-CID also stated that Sivakumar was not in India for over 15 years and his whereabouts were still not known, while Jotheeswaran repatriated to Hong Kong and Uma Maheswaran was shot dead by the Sri Lankan Army. Further hearing was adjourned to Dec 20.

PTI