Tamil bi-weekly Nakkeeran editor R.R. Gopal, charged with sedition and under the Arms Act, was today brought under the provisions of Prevention of Terrorism Act.Late this afternoon, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate D. Ramabadran endorsed an application filed by the Crime Branch to bring Gopal under Section 4 (a) of the Act and transferred the case to a special court set up to hear offences under POTA.Gopal is the second journalist to be brought under the purview of POTA after Iftikar Geelani who was booked under it in Delhi. He was released later after the Government reviewed the case.On April 12, fresh cases of sedition and murder, under the provisions of IPC, had been registered against Gopal after his arrest the previous night. The case was registered against him after an unlicensed revolver and a pamphlet in support of the outlawed Tamil Nadu Liberation Army was allegedly found on him when he was searched by police.Besides the two new cases, Gopal is accused in 11 other cases. He has secured bail in all but the two latest ones.He will also be taken to a Satyamangalam Magistrate’s court in Erode district for remand in another case relating to the murder of Rajamani three years ago, police said.The journalist has been remanded to judicial custody till April 25.Meanwhile, admitting a writ petition filed by Gopal’s father S. Ramanathan, Justice K.P. Sivasubramaniam of the Madras High Court today issued an interim directive to the police to provide adequate security to Gopal. Ramanathan, in his petition, prayed for a directive to the Home Secretary and police not to interfere with Gopal’s freedom of expression by obstructing his journalistic functions in any manner.The interim prayer contained in the petition was to direct the authorities to provide adequate protection to the liberty, limb and the life of his son wherever he was imprisoned and in whatsoever mode he was transported.The petitioner apprehended that there was every chance of the police killing his son by staging a fake encounter while transporting him. Meanwhile, three journalists’ bodies charged the state government with ‘‘grossly misusing’’ POTA.In a joint appeal to the Governor, Madras Union of Journalists, Chennai Press Club and Journalists’ Action Group said they noted ‘‘with deep anguish’’, the latest alleged act of violation of not only the freedom of the press, but also infringed on human rights. They said police, by including the charges of sedition and offences under the Arms Act, had foreclosed the bail option.
