Connect with us

News

Tamil Nadu: No default bail to Lanka nationals linked to LTTE

Published

on

The Madras High Court denied default bail to a few Lankans who were part of an LTTE operation to steal `40 crore from the bank account of a dead woman in Mumbai by fabricating documents.

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court denied default bail to a few Sri Lankans who were part of an LTTE operation to steal Rs 40 crore from the bank account of a dead woman in Mumbai by fabricating documents.

A division bench of justices PN Prakash and RMT Teekaa Raman recently dismissed the appeals filed by two of the accused, Kenniston Fernando and K Baskaran. They challenged a sessions court order extending their remand to 180 days and sought default bail.

According to the order, LTTE men noticed Rs 40 crore in the account of Hamida A Lalljee, a dead woman, in the Mumbai Fort branch of Indian Overseas Bank. A key LTTE operative Umakanthan aka Idhayan aka Charles aka Iniyan, stationed in Europe, kept an eye on the account. On his directions, a Sri Lankan Tamil, Letchumanan Mary Franciska, came to India and obtained Aadhaar, PAN and an Indian passport in her name.

Kenniston Fernando, K Baskaran, C Johnson Samuel, G Dharmendran and E Mohan created a fake power of attorney to show as though Hamida had given it in favour of Mary Franciska. But, she was caught at the Chennai Airport on October 1, 2021, and was handed over to the Q Branch of TN police. Subsequently, a few of the accused were arrested and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other acts.At the end of the 90-day remand, the special public prosecutor filed a report at the Chengalpet Sessions Court under the first proviso to section 43 D(2) of UAPA for an extension of remand as the investigation required more time.

The judge accepted the report and issued orders on January 3, 2022. Later, the investigation was handed to the National Investigation Agency. Subsequently, the case was moved to the Special Court for Exclusive Trial of Bomb Blast Cases at Poonamallee.The division bench found as “factually incorrect” the submission of the counsel for the appellants that the bail was rejected without hearing the accused since a report was filed in the court by the special public prosecutor for Q Branch in December 2021.

Saying that the indefeasible right for default bail stood extinguished given the fact that the default bail application was moved after the final report had been filed in the case; and the challenge to the order extending remand to 180 days was made after three months, the judges dismissed the appeals as being “devoid of merits”.(Indian Express)



Latest News

G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination will resume on 12th January 2026

Published

on

By

The Ministry of Education has announced that the .postponed subjects of the G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination will be conducted from 12 – 20   January 2026,

 

Continue Reading

News

The aim of the Government is to ensure a safe life for every citizen -President

Published

on

By

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stressed that the aim of the Government is to ensure a safe life for every citizen and that it is everyone’s responsibility to act with proper supervision during the resettlement of the people.

The President instructed the relevant sectors to complete all necessary repairs before 31 December by utilising the allocations given by the Government for infrastructure development for this year and not to return any part of those allocations under any circumstances.

The President said that there is no shortage of funds required for relief to the people and for restoring normal life and that what is necessary in this emergency situation is for all institutions to fulfil their responsibilities through proper coordination without limitations.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake made these remarks while participating on Monday (08) afternoon at the District Coordinating Committee meeting held at the Uva Province Library Auditoriam to review the programme being carried out to restore normalcy in the lives of the affected people in the Badulla District and to develop essential infrastructure. Due to the disaster situation, 64,140 individuals belonging to 19,133 families in the Badulla District have been affected. A total of 418 houses have been completely damaged and 7,703 houses have been partially damaged.

The President inquired separately into the programmes being carried out to restore essential infrastructure such as repairing damaged roads, electricity, water supply, communication, irrigation, restarting agriculture, the livestock sector, inland fisheries and restoring the health and education sectors, among others.

The President pointed out the need to carry out all road repairs simultaneously without dividing them as roads under the Road Development Authority, provincial roads, or local authority roads. He informed officials that if the funds allocated for this purpose are insufficient, they should request the required additional allocations.

The President also instructed that an estimate be prepared and submitted for all roads in the district requiring permanent repairs and noted that funds can be provided to commence this work by January.

Officials stated that, 90% of the district’s damaged electricity supply due to the disaster situation has already been restored and the remaining supply is also being restored swiftly. They further pointed out that steps have been taken to ensure the district’s water supply is provided as required.

The reopening of schools was also discussed and the President instructed that the Government’s allowance of Rs. 15,000 granted to affected schoolchildren be paid promptly through the intervention of Divisional Secretaries.

Due to the disaster situation, 6,711 acres of agricultural land in the Badulla District have been damaged. The President instructed that the relevant farmers and the extent of damaged land be identified, compensation be provided swiftly and they be directed back into cultivation.

He further instructed officials of the Irrigation Department to provide water to agricultural lands at least temporarily, so that the farmers will be able to harvest the Maha season. The President stated that the allowance of Rs. 25,000 provided for the cleansing and restoration of damaged temples and religious sites will be granted through the Department of Cultural Affairs and that a Cabinet decision regarding this matter is expected this week.

Lengthy discussions were held on providing compensation to destroyed and damaged houses and on the resettlement of the affected people. The President also highlighted the need to implement programmes aimed at improving the mental health of people living in camps.

President Dissanayake expressed his gratitude to the Tri-forces, Government officials and the public who are working with immense dedication in all these activities.

Participating in this occasion were the Chairman of the Badulla District Coordinating Committee and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Infrastructure, Samantha Vidyaratne; Chairman of the Badulla District Coordinating Committee and Governor of Uva Province, Attorney-at-Law Kapila Jayasekara; Deputy Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Security, R. M. Jayawardena; Deputy Minister of Power and Energy, Arkam Iliyas; Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, H. M. Dinindu Sampath Hennayake; Deputy Minister of Tourism, Professor Ruwan Ranasinghe; Members of Parliament Sarath Kumara, Ravindra Bandara, Sudath Balagalla, Kittnan Selvaraj, Ambika Samuel, Ajantha Gammaddege and Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, along with other ruling and opposition MPs; Chief Secretary of Uva Province, Ms. Anusha Gokula and representatives of Provincial Councils; Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, together with senior officials of the Ministry of Finance; Badulla District Secretary Panduka Sri Prabath Abeywardena and other Government officials of the district, as well as representatives of the security services

Continue Reading

Latest News

Death toll 635 as at 06:00 AM today [09]

Published

on

By

The Situation Report issued by the Disaster Management Center at 06:00 AM today [09th December] confirms that 635 persons have died due to floods and landslides that took place in the country within the past two weeks. The number of persons that are missing is 192.

Continue Reading

Trending