After staving off a deportation threat in July last year, Sri Lankan Tamil R Chenthuran is before the Madras high court yet again, this time for medical treatment and for being released from Central Prison at Vellore.
After advocate S Duraisamy highlighted the fact that Chenthuran has been on fast for the past 10 days and that his health condition has been deteriorating fast, a division bench comprising Justice V Dhanapalan and Justice G Chockalingam issued notices returnable in two weeks.
Duraisamy, counsel for Chenthuran’s wife Mangayarkarasi, told the court that the family came to India in April 2011 as refugees, following ethnic unrest in Sri Lanka. They registered themselves as refugees and were lodged at a camp in Sivaganga district. In July 2011, Chenthuran alone was shifted to the special camp at Chengalpet, and later to the special camp at Poonamallee in August 2012.
After much struggle and representations, he was then allowed to stay in Sivaganga district. In November 2012, he obtained permission from the local tahsildar to go to Chennai and work there. On July 3, 2013, authorities passed a deportation order, against which he moved the high court. In September 2013, high court disposed of the matter saying Chenthuran could give a representation to the authorities for disposal in two months. His request has been pending since November 2013, Duraisamy said.
Under these circumstances, based on a petty complaint obtained by force from a woman, Q Branch police arrested Chenthuran on February 27 and lodged him in Central Prison at Puzhal. Though he got bail in the case on March 6, he was detained by police and taken to a special camp for Sri Lankan refugees in Chengalpet. He was later shifted to Vellore central prison, on a charge that he had been attempting to kill himself by continuing his fast.
Duraisamy said Chenthuran’s health is in bad shape at present, and wanted the court to order immediate medical treatment. He wanted the court to treat the detention as illegal custody, and order his immediate release. (TNN)
