Indian court reserves order on petition by Douglas Devananda

An Indian court on Tuesday reserved its orders on a petition of Sri Lankan Minister Douglas Devananda seeking exemption from personal appearance in connection with a murder case. 

Sessions court Judge S Rajagopalan reserved orders over Devananda’s petition to October 18. 

Arguments over the petition filed by the Lankan Minister had commenced on October 12. 

Devananda, presently minister for traditional industries in Sri Lanka, was allegedly involved in a murder here in 1986 and was later declared a proclaimed offender. A Non-Bailable Warrant is also been pending against him. 

He had moved court on September 11 to recall the NBW and submitted that a case had been registered against him and five others under various sections of the IPC. 

Douglas had submitted his life was still in danger from LTTE ‘sleeper cells’ both in Sri Lanka and abroad and his visit to Tamil Nadu to appear in connection with the case would create a law and order problem here. 

He had prayed that his personal appearance before the court in Chennai be dispensed with.  (PTI)