A young man previously arrested under the stringent provisions of the Terrorism Prevention Act was granted bail by the Chavakachcheri Magistrate’s Court on December 28. His arrest on November 27 in Kodikamam during the Maaveerar Day commemoration occurred because he was wearing a T-shirt featuring the image and emblem of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the infamous leader of the LTTE.
The case initially met with a stern response from the authorities but saw a shift when the Attorney General’s Department consented to the youth’s release on bail. Tharmakulasingam Anjanan, representing- ing him in court, successfully argued for his release. However, this legal victory was overshadowed by a controversial episode involving former Provincial Council member and Tamil National Alliance member Sayanthan.
Following the arrest, the youth’s parents, in a desperate bid to secure their son’s release, sought assistance from Minister Douglas Devananda. They shared a distressing account of their interactions with Sayanthan, who, despite publicly inciting support for the LTTE cause, allegedly exploited their plight by demanding a hefty fee of 20,000 rupees for his legal services. The financially struggling family had to pawn their jewelry to meet this demand.
The irony of Sayanthan’s actions sparked widespread outrage, mainly as the story unfolded. A video of the youth’s parents discussing the incident with Minister Devananda went viral on social media, leading to public indignation. Accusations flew thick and fast against lawyer-politicians like Say- anthan, suggesting ulterior motives in their actions. There were allegations that they were inciting innocent youths into arrestable activities as part of a profitable scheme. This incident has raised serious ethical questions about those who claim to defend a cause only to exploit those they purport to represent.
