REFUGEE

Syed Ali Shah Geelani chairman of the hard-line faction of Hurriyat Conference, was arrested by the police outside a hospital in Srinagar [ Images ] on Friday evening, official sources said.

Geelani was arrested outside SMHS hospital, where he had gone to enquire about the condition of Faizan Ahmad, a 14-year-old boy injured in police firing during a clash at Maisuma in the state capital, they said.

The separatist leader, who sponsored a general strike in Srinagar today against the alleged illegal occupation of thousands of hectares of land by military troops, was initially taken to Shergari police station, but was later shifted to Humhama police station, the sources said.

Over 70 people, including 18 policemen, were injured in the fierce clashes between groups of angry youth and the police, during the day-long strike.

Geelani led a procession in Srinagar in violation of prohibitory orders shortly after Friday prayers, but his attempt to address the gathering was scuttled by policemen, who resorted to teargas shelling and baton charge.

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Sri Lanka police have arrested three LTTE cadres who had been engaged in several ransom cases in Vavuniya yesterday night.

Police spokesman Senior Superintendent of Police I.M Karunaratna said that the three LTTE cadres were arrested during a raid conducted over another ransom case in Vavuniya.

They have attempted to obtain Rs. 500,000 as a ransom from a businessman in the area when they were arrested.

Further questioning over the suspects is currently underway, the police said.

Mr. Santha Fernando, the executive secretary for justice and peace of the National Christian Council was arrested by the NIB and at the airport on 27th March and detained by the TID was given bail today, 11th October 2009. He had been on his way to India for a meeting and arrested after finding documents in his luggage concerning the humanitarian crisis in the Vanni region. He had been arrested under the provisions of the prevention of terrorism act and under the provisions of the emergency regulations.

The bail was granted by the judge based on short oral submission by the defense and consent of the attorney general. In his submission the defense counsel asked for bail and stated that: Previously, Mr. Fernando’s bail application had been

rejected by courts, with the reason that the consent of the attorney general is needed in order for a suspect arrested under Prevention of Terrorism A ct and Emergency Regulations. However, now the attorney general had consented to give bail. According to Mr. Fenando the material in the CD based on which he was arrested and detained, had been downloaded from the Internet. There were no materials that he had produced. To consider the facts that the suspect doesn’t face any other charges at present or in past, no previous convictions and also that he is 64 years old.
The judge stated that she could grant Mr. Fernando bail if the AG doesn’t have any issues regarding it. The state counsel too didn’t object to this as the attorney general has given permission to grant bail.

The judge granted Mr. Fernando bail on following conditions: Two sureties of 200,000 each, That Mr. Fernando has to give the court his passport number and this will be transmitted to Dept of Immigration, That he has to notify the courts if he wants to leave the country and get the permission from the court, That he has to report to the TID office between 9-12 in the morning on the last Sunday of every month.

The judge also asked TID officers whether detention orders had been obtained as stipulated by law. TID officers mentioned Santha was remanded based on his confession and that detention orders after the initial one were filed with the attorney general.

The judge fixed February 24th 2010 as the next day for the case to be taken up.