It was not possible to arrest Douglas Devananda as he had visited India as a “Minister,” the Central Government of India has informed the Madras High Court.
The Madras High Court had ordered the Central Government to show cause as to why Minster Devananda had not been arrested, when he had visited Delhi, when an arrest warrant has been issued for the arrest of the Sri Lankan Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises Development.
Therefore when the case was taken up today (Sep. 20) the representative on behalf of the Indian Central Government had told court that Douglas Devananda had visited Delhi as a “Minister” hence is an individual with privileges.
Besides there is a difficulty in arresting persons such as Devananda as an agreement between India and Sri Lanka to exchange prisoners and wrongdoers does not exist, the representative further expressed at court.
The case against Douglas is that he, along with a group of Sri Lankan youths staying in Choolaimedu in Chennai in 1986, had opened fire on local residents on the Deepavali day, killing one Thirunavukkarasu.
